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Jesus urges those worried about who's eating what and when at a banquet to be more concerned about the seating arrangements. In the reign of God, our need to be first is subverted. It is the last and least who are given greatest honor.
+ Pastor Michael
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Reading the Scriptures:
The Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Jeremiah 2:4-13 Psalm 81:1, 10-16
Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16 Luke 14:1, 7-14
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Morning Prayer: Almighty God, in your goodness, you provide for the needy.
Remove from your people the pride of place and the pursuit of power that mocks humility. Open our hearts in generosity and justice to the neglected and lonely, that in showing esteem for others, we may honor and please you; through Jesus Christ in the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
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Evening Prayer: God of majestic glory,
in humility you have revealed yourself
in the incarnation of your Son, Jesus Christ, who took the lowest place among us, that we might be raised to the heights of divinity. Teach us to walk the path he prepared for us, so that we might take a place at the table with all who seek the joy of his kingdom. Amen.
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Prayer with Children:
Dear God, we often really want to be first! (Talk about something being first at that means a lot to the child). Help us remember that first or last, it's making room for everyone that matters most. Thank you, Jesus, for always making room for me! Amen.
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In Our Prayers: Barbara, Donna, Ina, Don, June, Ashley, Azure, Bearley family, Ron, Lonnie, Ahmed, Denny, John, Helene, John, Theresa, Ken, Jared, Linda and Mara, Alex and Andy, Ione, Gene, Paula, Dolores,Tom, Joe, Linda, Sue, Margie, Jamie, Bill, Velda, Jonathon, Marlys, Paul; and, all those affected by natural disasters.
We also pray for our Bishops, Elizabeth and Wayne.
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Fall Worship and Program Schedule Begins with God's Work, Our Hands Sunday, September 11... and a Potluck!
Fall 2016 Worship and Fellowship Schedule at Ebenezer
Sunday, September 11
9:15 a.m. Nursery Opens, Choir
9:45 a.m. Children's Sunday School
10:00 a.m. Worship
11:15 a.m. Coffee Fellowship in the new Café
11:30 a.m. Community Hour
Community Hour will be led by a variety of groups forming our faith: Education, Justice, Stewardship, and four Food and Fellowship events per year.
Community Hour is a Potluck in the Dining Room on September 11!
1:00 p.m. Service opportunity at the Night Ministry
5:00 p.m. Worship
Monday, September 12
9:00 a.m. Morning Prayer and Bible Study
Wednesday, September 14
6:30 p.m. Evening Prayer and Bible Study
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Ebenezer Sunday School starts September 11. Consider a short-term Teaching
Commitment
Ebenezer's
Sunday
School is a place for kids age PreK-Grade 6 to learn that God is love and that God's love works through all of us. The
Sunday
School Leadership Team (Chris Korn, Karen Miley, and Kris May) is looking for volunteers who are interested in signing up for a maximum 6-week commitment to teach, assist, sub, or help with music/art. Warning: the rewards may surprise you! Specifically, you may develop relationships with little people that you never thought possible. Lesson plans, teaching tips, and supplies are all provided. You can access our sign-up Volunteer Chart via the following link.
One of us will be available after worship service throughout the month of August to answer any questions.
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Four Ebenezer Small Groups
Intentional Small Groups at Ebenezer are a special way of pursuing spiritual community. We meet twice a month from September to June. About seven to eight persons share concerns about their lives, thoughts about a Biblical text and prayer for themselves, the church, and the world. Silence is also valued.
The group leaders are Bev Albert, Janet Lundblad, Don McCrary, and Darlene Erickson. We have a few openings so talk to one of us or one of the pastors. Groups meet at different times; ages of group members are varied; ideas and experiences are wide.
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Two Year Walk Through the Bible Class
Have you wondered what exactly is in the Bible?
Have you wanted to read through the Bible but it has seemed to daunting to you?
Have you found the Bible to be a mystery for the most part?
If your answer is yes, to any of these questions, this two-year course may be an option for you. It designed for anyone who wants to learn more about the Bible. The course, led by Ralph Conrad, will take the participants through the narrative of the Bible. The literary forms, contextual background and message of the Bible will be discussed in the class. Each week there will be an overview of the portion of the Bible under study and time for discussion to help the participants gain a deeper understanding. Participants will be expected to read the Bible passages assigned each week to prepare for the portion of the Bible to be discussed. The classes will be on Tuesday evenings from 7:00 to 8:30 pm in the education center. The class will start on September 20 with breaks around Christmas and Easter. The class runs from October through May each of the two years with the summer between off.
To sign up for the classes you can talk personally to Pastor Fick or Ralph Conrad (773-386-4511) if you have questions.
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Tutoring Program Seeks Fall Volunteers
Please see the Fall Messenger for the full invitation to many ways of helping the Tutoring Program succeed in the new school year. Tutors, Substitute Tutors and Meal Preparers are all needed now as the schedule for the 14th year of this program is finalized. Tutors meet on
Sept. 8th
in the dining room at
7 PM
to plan for the new year. New tutors meet on
September 8 at 6 PM
for orientation and training first. Interested volunteer tutors and others with questions can contact Norm Dynneson at normdynneson64@gmail.com- or -
773-218-8729
. Meal preparers can contact Anne Goeltzer at
adlgoeltzer@comcast.net or 773-960-2866.
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Faith, Hope, & Recovery Coming to Ebenezer in September
Faith, Hope & Recovery (FHR) is a gathering open to anyone affected by mental health conditions, including families and friends. This gathering focuses on spirituality. Many people with mental health conditions are given attention to their physical, psychological, and emotional needs. FHR makes space for the soul. Spiritual practices such as using mindfulness, imaging, journaling, reflecting, reading scripture and wisdom literature, and blessings are used in FHR.
Faith, Hope & Recovery (FHR)
gatherings will meet monthly on the 2
nd
Tuesday of the month beginning September 13
th
, 2016 through April 11
th
, 2017, from 7:00-8:30 p.m. This is our first session; hopefully more will follow.
Ebenezer is pleased to be able to offer this safe space so that people in our congregation and surrounding neighborhoods, affected by mental health conditions, can come together. If you know someone for whom such a gathering might fill a need in his or her life, please extend an invitation for them to come to Ebenezer Lutheran Church on Tuesday, September 13th. RSVP REQUESTED to Ashley at 773/428-1521.
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Lutherans Respond to Flooding in Louisiana
The situation:
At least eleven people have been killed, tens of thousands have been rescued and even more have been evacuated as floodwaters sweep across southern Louisiana. Massive search and rescue operations are taking place as flooding continues to affect communication, overwhelm streets and highways, and damage or destroy homes. This flood comes on the heels of several other floods that have hit the Gulf Coast region, starting earlier this spring. With more rain in the forecast, the full scope of this disaster has yet to be realized.
Our response:
Through congregations, synods and our disaster-affiliate organizations, Lutheran Disaster Response is assisting those who have been affected by the flooding. Lutheran Disaster Response coordinators are actively present, collaborating with local community leaders and officials to begin planning the proper responses, particularly the long-term recovery efforts. We know that this will be a long road to recovery, and we will be there to provide support through every phase of this disaster recovery process. Your gifts are needed for these long-term efforts.
Give Now
What you can do:
Pray
Continue to pray for the people affected by flooding. May God's healing presence give them peace and hope in their time of need.
Give
Gifts to Gulf Coast Flooding will be used to assist those affected by floodwaters until the response is complete.
Connect:
To learn more about the situation and the ELCA’s response:
- Sign up to receive Lutheran Disaster Response alerts.
- Check the Lutheran Disaster Response blog.
- Like Lutheran Disaster Response on Facebook and follow @ELCALDR on Twitter.
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Community and Announcments
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Give with Goodshop
Shopping online at
goodshop.org allows you to do the shopping you'd do anyway at your favorite sites, while supporting the ministry at Ebenezer! Simply register and then select Ebenezer Lutheran Church, Chicago, as the beneficiary of the donation Goodshop makes when you shop through their site. Check it out today!
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Office Hours
Monday-Thursday
9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Closed Friday.
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Our Mission:
God calls Ebenezer to be a Christian home for all who seek the sustaining nature of the Holy Spirit, to demonstrate faith and trust in God through the ministry of its people, and to let Christ's model of service, justice and love give expression to how we share God's gift with the world.
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