Ephesians 1:3-12
Matthew 26:36-39

8 AM
Communion: Chris and Rachel Bennett
Ushers: Barb Ludwig and Bev Stobber

10:30
Ushers: The Hatlen Family
Offering: The Dean Anderson Family

Remember! First Sunday is Food Sunday!

May is National Asparagus Month, Barbecue Month, and Salad Month.

May 15 is Chocolate Chip Day

May 19 is Devil’s Food Cake Day

May 22 is Vanilla Pudding Day

Please feel free to donate some canned asparagus, bottles of barbecue sauce, bottles of salad dressing, bags of chocolate chips, boxes of chocolate cake mix, and vanilla pudding mixes or prepared pudding cups.  Also needed are canned meat products (Spam, beef stew, tuna, chili, hash), canned pasta with meat, cans of soup with chicken or beef, cans of fruit and fruit juice.

Since Mother’s Day is in May, please also bring something for mom – body wash, body lotion, bars of soap, shampoo, deodorant, razors, and feminine hygiene products.

Want to donate something not on the list?  Please bring whatever items you can.  Make sure to check the expiration dates – items must not be past the expiration date.  All items collected through Sunday, May 3 will be taken to Love, Inc. food pantry one day during that week.

8:00 AM Service
Communion Assistants: Bev Stobber and Jenny Voss
Ushers: The Hobach Family
Reader: Evan Weichman

10:30 AM Service 
Ushers: Paul Rowntree and Chris Bennet
Offering Counter: Bill Goulding

Service at 9 AM

Old Testament: Daniel 12:4-13
Epistle: 1 Peter 1:3-12
Gospel: Luke 8:4-15

Communion Assistants: Greg and Lori Gilanyi
Reader: Rev. Ron Bachman
Offering: Gilanyi Family

For anyone who is interested in exploring this week’s sermon text in greater detail here are some definitions and study questions.

Isaiah 45:5-13

John 15:15-19

1 Peter 1:1-2

• exiles of the dispersion: Can also be translated resident aliens, resident foreigners, sojourners, pilgrims, or strangers. The dispersion refers to the scattering of the Jews from Israel throughout the world (John 7:35; James 1:1), but here it refers to the Christians as spiritual pilgrims and aliens on the earth (1 Peter 1:17; 1 Peter 2:11).
• Pontus … Bithynia: modern-day Turkey
• elect: Greek word that means “called out ones”. In the Old Testament it was used to describe Israel (Deuteronomy 7:6), indicating that God chose Israel from among all the nations of the world to believe in and belong to Him (Deuteronomy 14:12; Ezekiel 20:5; Hosea 11:1; Psalm 105:43; Psalm 135:4). Here the word is used as a term for Christians, those chosen by God for salvation (Romans 8:33; Colossians 3:12; 2 Timothy 2:10)
• foreknowledge: The awareness of future events.
• sanctification of the Spirit. To sanctify means “to consecrate,””to make Holy”, or “to set apart.” The Holy Spirit thus makes God’s chosen people holy, by setting them apart from sin and unbelief and leads them to faith and righteousness (1 Thessalonians 1:4; 2 Thessalonians 2:13).
• sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: A reference to Moses’ sprinkling sacrificial blood on the people of Israel as a symbol of their covenant to obey God (Exodus 24:1-8), as well as a reminder that Christ’s blood was shed for the forgiveness of sin.
• grace: Good will, loving-kindness, unmerited favor. Grace implies mercy or compassion for one who has by every right forfeited his or her claim to love. God’s grace to the sinner is “free” because it is not grounded in any worthiness of mankind (Romans 11:6). The merciful kindness by which God, exerting his holy influence upon souls, turns them to Christ, keeps, strengthens, increases them in Christian faith, and fills them them with the desire to do good works. Consider also the old Sunday School definition: God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense
• peace: It describes the harmonious relationships between people (Matthew 10:34; Romans 14:19), the harmony between God and people, accomplished through the gospel (Acts 10:36; Ephesians 2:17), and rest and contentment that comes when God and people are reconciled (Matthew 10:13; Mark 5:34; Luke 1:79; 2:29; John 14:27; Romans 1:7; Romans 3:17; Romans 8:6)

Study Questions:

1. When have you most felt like a stranger? As a result of moving? Changing schools or jobs? When have you most felt like a stranger because of your faith?

2. What does it mean to you to be chosen by God? To be sanctified/set apart by God? You may want to click HERE to read what the Lutheran Confessions have to say about Election and Foreknowledge.

3. What does grace mean to you? Please read Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s mediation on the difference between Cheap Grace and Costly Grace…. in what ways do you find yourself identifying with either Cheap or Costly grace?

Click HERE and scroll down to the section entitled The Cost of Discipleship to read about Cheap and Costly Grace

4. Often peace is defined as the absence of conflict. The Biblical concept of peace is tied to the Hebrew word Shalom which has a lot more to do with being whole and in a right relationship with others. What does Peace means to you?

5. What difference does it make to you that God wants to multiply grace and peace in you?

8 AM Service
Reader: Nancy Dey
Communion Assistants: Elaine Sherry and Elsie Goulding

9:15 AM: Annual Meeting

10:30 Service
Reader: Steve Fladwood

Offering: The Schenning Family

New Testament: Numbers 11:24-30
Psalm: Psalm 104
Epistle: Acts 2:1-21
New Testament: John 7:37-39

8 AM: Service of the Word
Reader:Jim Hart
Ushers: Bev Stobber and Barb Ludwig

10:30 AM: Holy Communion
Reader : Jean Wiechmann
Communion Assistants: Dean and Rhonda Anderson
Ushers: Greg and Lori Gilanyi
Offering: Puntney Family

New Testament: Acts 1:1-11
Psalm: Psalm 47 or Psalm 93
Epistle: Ephesians 1:15-23
New Testament: Luke 24:44-53

8 AM: Holy Communion – Music Sunday
Reader:
Communion Assistants: Bev Stobber and Chris Bennett
Ushers: Ken and Linda Morgan

10:30 AM: Service of the Word – Music Sunday
Reader:
Ushers: Nate Gilanyi and David Vojta
Offering: Anderson Family

New Testament: Acts 17:22-31
Psalm: Psalm 66
Epistle: 1 Peter 3:13-22
New Testament: John 14:15-21

8 AM: Service of the Word – Choir Sings
Reader: Ken Morgan
Ushers: Steve and Cheryl Flatwood

10:30 AM: Holy Communion
Reader: Barb Oluf
Communion Assistants: Rhonda Anderson and Toni Rowntree
Ushers: Tom and Karen Erhardt
Offering: Gilanyi Family