Email Blast 12-20-17
Email about what is happening at Christmas at Grace
Advent Service Tonight - Joy!
6pm Dinner
7pm Service
Christmas Services
24th 10am
6PM Candlelight
25th 10AM
No Sunday School on the 24th or 31st
Join us beginning the 7th to Study Luther's Large Catechism.
8:45am
Read Scripture 2018
Read the Bible in 2018
Get ready! We have a plan to read the scriptures through next year. This plan will include Videos to help explain what is going on as you read through the scripture.
The finishing touches are currently being made to the plan now, but if you would like to get a head start. go to
www.gracelutheranpsl.com/read2018
Listen to the Scriptures:
Thursdays 11AM
Genesis 41-46
Join us as we listen to the Joseph and his Family as they look for food.
Article to Workout Your Faith
THE SCANDAL OF THE INCARNATION
If you were the Son of God, how would you choose to enter the world? With wealth power and prestige? Yeah me too.
https://www.gracelutheranpsl.com/news/the-scandal-of-the-incarnation
Sermon From Sunday
Exodus A Christmas Story
Fight or Flight
We want God to do big things. However, when we look in the manger, in Bethlehem, in a virgin birth, in the town of Nazareth, it seems that God keeps working through the small things in life. Perhaps we should look for the small things too.
Watch it Today!
https://www.gracelutheranpsl.com/news/exodus-christmas-4
See you Sunday!
The Scandal Of The Incarnation
If you were the Son of God, how would you choose to enter the world? With wealth power and prestige? Yeah me too.
BY MATT JOHNSON
Imagine a dirty, dank, stinky barn full of animal manure. Now close your eyes and take a deep breath in through your nose.
This was the environment that the Son of glory was born into. This is the reality of the Nativity.
During Christmas, I prefer the smell of cookies baking, the fresh pine smell of a Christmas tree, and candy canes to the smell of manure any day. But if we want a true depiction of the Christmas story, we ought to consider the scandal of the coming of Jesus.
THE OPPOSITE OF ‘GOING BIG’
Hypothetically speaking, if you were the Son of God, how would you choose to enter the world? For one, I think I’d rather come down to the world a fully grown man, roll up in a gold-plated SUV, and skip the gore of an actual birth altogether.
The Reminder For Christians in the Hannukah Story
God has Done Wonderful Things.
I am a disciple of Jesus, slowly but surely nearing the completion of my ordination process in the Presbyterian Church, and I’m also a Jew. My mother grew up in a Jewish household, on both her mother and father’s side, but due to a dispute between her father and the local rabbi when she was still very young, her household was not directly tied into a local synagogue for support and community. Although her Jewish household held onto the practices it was most familiar with and tried to pass those on, my mother’s Judaism did not become her primary identity marker.
When it came time to talk to my father about a “moral upbringing” for us kids (I have a sister) my mother was content to let my father bring us along with him to church.
Despite our focused Christian upbringing, without my mom’s participation, I can still recall at least a few years of celebrating Hanukkah with my grandfather at our house (compromise makes marriages go, right?). I remember turning the lights down, or out, so only the light from the candles of the menorah filled our living room. I remember spinning the dreidel and playing with my sister. I remember the food: latkes, noodle kugel and borscht. I remember receiving the gifts, a little something every night, for eight nights..........................
Dreams and Ideas For Grace
Dreams and Ideas for the Future of Grace Lutheran PSL
Thank you for Sharing your Dreams and Ideas with us on the Planning Committee. We are in a listening phase of our journey. We are listening for God to reveals what the next years will look like at Grace.
You are integral in this listening, because many times God speaks through his bride the church. So please fill out the form below. If you get another dream or idea please fill it in again.
Read the Original Letter
Dreams and Ideas At Grace Lutheran PSL
Jesus says in Matthew Chapter 5: 13-16
13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
Salt and Light. Two things that make the world more beautiful and better. God, through the work of the Spirit, makes us into salt and light wherever we go, sending us out into our jobs and interests to bring good taste and light to everywhere around us.
As we at Grace Lutheran PSL emerge from paying off our mortgage, we find ourselves in a good position to look forward into the future. We are financially able to do some amazing salt and light work in our community. However we are not yet sure what that work is.
So at this point, then, we want to ask ourselves a really tough question.
Why does God have Grace Lutheran in St Luice West?
This question is why the planning committee at Grace is sending out this letter. How does God want us to be salt and light in Port St Lucie? Who are we? What are we here to be and do in PSL?
We at the planning Committee want your Dreams and Ideas for Grace Lutheran PSL.
Your Dreams and Ideas can be anything. From wild outlandish Dreams to something which is small and one time. We want to hear all the ideas and dreams for Grace. We believe that God is putting a common thread inside of the dreams and Ideas of all the members and friends of Grace. That thread is why God has placed us here at this time. Some churches call this the vision, others call it their mission. We like calling it the Big Idea.
Grace’s Planning committee is Cheryl Nolte, Susan Becker, Mechelle Arbuzow, Ed Bock, Leigh Liagre, Claude & Pat Hessee, and Pastor Cris Escher. If you have any questions or want to share your dreams and ideas in a personal way, Please reach out to any of these members of the committee. We are enclosing a list of possible evangelistic projects, These are just ideas to stimulate your thoughts so you can describe projects and ideas you would like to see in the church.
So please take a few minutes to share your dreams and ideas for Grace – drop them in the gold box at church, leave them in the office, email them to planning@gracelutheranpsl.com, or fill out the form on GraceLutheranPSL.com/Dreams
In Christ,
Pastor Cris
Planning Committee
Fight or Flight - Exodus A Christmas Story
We want God to do big things. However, when we look in the manger, in Bethlehem, in a virgin birth, in the town of Nazareth, it seems that God keeps working through the small things in life. Perhaps we should look for the small things too.
Watch the Latest Photo Video!
What Had happened at Grace this week.
![[Christmas Eve] A Song of Christmas Light](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5852f18a20099e30cd2c01dc/1766459038816-RE9GU9A1NB5IBYM52X0S/Christmas+eve+.jpg)
![[Christmas Day] Beautiful Trees](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5852f18a20099e30cd2c01dc/1766458441148-4Z6ZUARBSWFIBNXRVG4D/Christmas+light+Daya.jpg)
![[Sunday] A Song of Christmas Light - Wait | Simeon](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5852f18a20099e30cd2c01dc/1766465408750-D8B3EGC204JHKAXLWITJ/Christmas+light+6a.jpg)
![[Sunday] A Song of Christmas Light - Pointing to Greatness Stave 4](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5852f18a20099e30cd2c01dc/1766107074577-MKU6U8LW1N5S1EATE1RW/Christmas+light+4a.jpg)
![Christmas Dinner at Mission BBQ [photos]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5852f18a20099e30cd2c01dc/1766111458710-ULPCKS16DAZCMUN7LI93/PXL_20251218_000243197.jpg)
LOSS AND THE CHRISTIAN VIRTUE OF HOPE
The road to Emmaus is a journey through hopelessness with a God who refuses to leave us.
We Had Hoped
On Resurrection Sunday, two of Jesus's disciples set out for the town of Emmaus. They leave behind a place of deep sorrow and perplexity and journey toward something familiar, a place as yet untouched by their great loss. As they walk, they talk together about the events of the previous week. A stranger comes close, walks with them, and enters into their conversation. He asks them what they are discussing. One of the disciples speaks; he tells the stranger about Jesus's arrest, trial, and crucifixion. And he says, "We had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel." All of the hopes they had pinned on Christ died with him. The astonishing news that the tomb is empty can't budge them; their hopes remain buried. They speak in the past tense; theirs is an entrenched hopelessness. The stranger who will later reveal himself as Jesus walks with them; he offers a patient corrective to the hopelessness he hears in their words. As he teaches them, a better hope takes root in their hearts. They urge the stranger to stay with them and, later that evening, Jesus takes bread, blesses and breaks it, and gives it to them to eat. In that instant, their eyes are opened. They say to each other, "Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked?"
This narrative maps a common movement in human life. It is the movement from sorrow to hopelessness. But it traces another movement as well—the movement of a God who refuses to abandon those who are hopeless. It is this movement that I have discovered in my own life, within my own experience of sorrow. In 2011, my family and I were expecting our second child, Samuel. Around twenty weeks into the pregnancy, he was diagnosed with a relatively rare chromosomal abnormality known as Trisomy 18. We were told that it was a lethal abnormality. Approximately 70 percent of children diagnosed with Trisomy 18 die before birth. Of those who make it to birth, between 90 and 95 percent will die before their first birthday. And most of these children measure their lives in hours or days. So, for the final sixteen weeks of pregnancy, our family prepared simultaneously for a birth and a death. We were fortunate: Samuel was born late in the night on January 1, 2012, and we held him for the entirety of his nearly five-hour life. He was fragile; and he was beautiful. In the cramped space of a neonatal intensive care unit, he was baptized and anointed with oil, sealed as Christ's own forever. Together we commended his life to Christ. The entirety of his life was marked by something far greater than his limitations: it was marked by love.
When we received Sam's diagnosis, we stood still, looking sad. And when Sam died, the heavy weight of sadness stilled us again. And in the long paths of grief that have followed, our sorrow has often stopped forward movement. I have heard myself say the words the disciples said to Jesus on the way to Emmaus. I know what it is like to say, "We had hoped." My family had hoped for another child. And, in an instant, those hopes were defeated. And the ongoing experience of grief is the daily resignation of thousands of additional hopes. When I see the hopes we had for our son realized vicariously in the lives of others' children, I find myself saying those sad (and sometimes bitter) words: "We had hoped.".............................
Why Do So Many People Who Talk About Jesus Not Actually Read the Bible?
Is it possible that we are worshipping a Play-Doh Jesus?
My wife, Kasi, and I have five children. Our oldest two are both girls, 11 and 6, and they both love to play with Play-Doh. They have all the colors and all the tools necessary to mold, shape and build anything their vivid imaginations can come up with. OK, now for a moment of confession. I love to play with them and create as well. It reminds me of my childhood, but my daughters often will put me in time-out when I mix the colors to create new ones. It’s what I always did as a kid, but they can’t stand it. “Daddy, you’re ruining it!”
The reason we all liked Play-Doh as children is because we believed we could create anything we wanted. We’d mold, shape and bend. Plus, if we didn’t like how it was turning out we could pick everything up, roll it in a ball and start over.
I believe this is the same reason why so many people love to talk about Jesus, but don’t actually read the Bible. In fact, we’ve all heard people say such things as, “I love Jesus, but I don’t like the Bible.” “I have a deep respect for Jesus, but I don’t agree with the Bible.”
Is it possible that we are worshipping a Play-Doh Jesus? Meaning, the main reason we don’t have an issue with Jesus is because it’s a Jesus that we’ve created by our own imagination? We’ll shape, mold and bend Him to be what we want Him to be. Then the very moment that particular Play-Doh Jesus no longer appeases us, we just roll Him up and start over; we create a different Jesus more to our liking. When we do this we are not worshipping the Jesus of the Bible, but rather, a “Jesus” that we’ve created in our own minds..........
The Son's Life - Exodus A Christmas Story
Out of Egypt I have called my son. God has rescued His people, But His people seem to keep running from Him and back to the Egyption lifestyle. We need someone who comes out of Egypt that will save us all.
Watch the Latest Photo Video!
What Had happened at Grace this week.
How Community Gives Us a Glimpse of the Kingdom of God
The reality is, there are people all over, in every season, who can be our people, if we only stop and look.
Jared and Lindi invited us to their house for a get-together of close friends, and we were excited, but a little stumped. People we’d only known for a few weeks were bringing us in and covering us in hospitality, but we weren’t sure why. Lindi announced that she was pregnant, and we all cried, and Travis and I got in the car saying these people will be our people for a long time.
The next week, we found out I was pregnant. We drove to Mama Carmen’s coffee shop where Lindi worked to see her and Jared. They looked at us for a few seconds and knew. We laughed and cried and it hit us again. These people will be our people.
Jared and Lindi brought us into a community of Christ-seeking, love-abiding sinners who drank in the Spirit of God in all ways they could muster. Our first evening with this group, I walked into the kitchen and met our new friends. Amber was pregnant and excused herself for looking so big and round; I thought she was the prettiest and sweetest thing I’d seen in a long time. Lindsey had just had Nora, and brought us into her home with such grace and warmth, I could barely contain my emotion.
We were home.
Jesus – The De-Motivational Speaker
At the cross, God shatters our preconceptions by meeting us in our deepest need—at the cross—where both sin and the sinner are put to death and resurrected to new life.
Americans love the vicarious sense of pride they get from the odds-defying underdog myth. But often, all the attaboy-ing translates to spiritual performance and a definition of sin that is closer to good intentions gone awry than war against the maker of the universe. Old habits die hard, and roughly 500 years ago Martin Luther saw a similar self-congratulating theology and dissected it with uniform precision.
MARTIN LUTHER: NAILED IT!
Historically, Martin Luther is best known for igniting the Reformation by nailing the 95 theses to the Wittenberg cathedral’s door. But what really got the conceptual ball rolling was a meeting of an Augustinian monastic order at Heidelberg in 1518. There, Luther defended his theological position in 28 cryptic theses against scholastic theology in an effort to re-focus theologians on Jesus’ work on the cross.
GOD: NOT MR. DREAMS-COME-TRUE
In Luther’s day, medieval theology defined God as fully embodying the glory of human achievement. Accordingly, glory was best represented by the monarchy. Royalty was conceptually understandable, so obviously God is a really, really, really glorious King. In effect, the scholastics reinvented God in their own image. Sound familiar? In John 14, Phillip thought that Jesus was holding out by playing a sort of spiritual pat-a-cake with the disciples. Phillip wanted to cut to the chase and see the Father. Jesus’ reply was: “he who has seen me has seen the Father.”
God doesn’t get things done through spiritual pick-me-ups, but through death and resurrection.
Likewise, Jesus was rebuked by Peter (!) for bumming the disciples out with all that dark, going-to-the-cross-to-die-talk. Jesus’ reply? "Get behind me, Satan!" The disciples had selfish plans for Jesus. He had something else in mind.
You're Not the King - Exodus A Christmas Story
It seems like there are kings all around us. The Pharaohs and Herods of the World seem like they are in complete control. But Behold, A Star in the East, an Parted Sea. We see that God was King and in control the whole time.
Watch the Latest Photo Video!
What Had happened at Grace this week.
How Churches Became Morality Clubs of Religion
Without the preaching of the Gospel, the church becomes just another self-justifying, self-perpetuating institution that has excommunicated its Founder.
If there’s one thing that we in the church do extremely well, it’s ignoring the greatest threats that face us. We roll massive Trojan horses inside our sanctuary walls while feverishly battling the mosquitoes that buzz around us. And once we wake up and grasp the true danger—if we ever do—the damage done is often incalculable.
We wring our cultural hands over the de-Christianizing of America. We conduct massive studies to ascertain why we’re not attracting Generation X, Y, or Z. We school church leaders in the art of politics so they can run for office against godless rivals. We curtail the heresy of boredom by injecting some razzle-dazzle into our worship. We fight and fret over the election of less-conservative denominational leaders.
We strive, in short, to master the art of swatting mosquitoes. And all the while, we remain blind to the fact that in pulpit after pulpit, the Gospel of Jesus Christ is as rare as Merry Christmas inside a synagogue.
We are a sinning church with a preaching problem.
It’s cross-denominational.
It’s rampant.
It’s damnable.
The blame for it is shared by preachers and hearers alike.
And there’s only one way to change it.
This begins in an elementary fashion: by recognizing and acknowledging not only the problem, but its catastrophic nature.
Email At Grace 11/29
Latest News at Grace
Listen to the Scriptures:
Thursdays 11AM
Genesis 23-28
Join us as we listen to the Jacob story.
Quarterly Meeting
The next Quarterly Grace Voters Meeting is December 10th, immediately following the service. Election of board of directors for 2018 will be held.
Real Life Children's Ranch
In Okeechobee is a place where children can go which provides a Christian residential group home that cares for boys and girls who are sexually or physically or emotionally abused; homeless, neglected, or mildly disturbed. There are 6 homes with a father and mother which may have children of their own, plus house and nurture up to 6 of these children. Tours and further information is available by calling (863)763-4242. Want to give a child that “WOW” gift for Christmas? Vivian and Bob Barto are heading up this project and need your help. Here are their contact numbers (810-423-7877, vivian-barto@yahoo.com). Saturday, December 14th at 10:00 am is designated to wrap gifts
MOPS Sitters
Did you know that Grace hosts a mothers of preschoolers group?
This is a time where moms can come together to talk and support one another.
We need people who can watch their little ones at Grace while they meet.
It's just two Wednesdays a month, and your hours can go to the Luther 500 Challenge.
Talk to Pastor Cris
Angel Tree
There are still some angels on our tree in the narthex. Please let Susan Becker know which angel you have chosen. Please keep the amount you spend on the gift at $20. All of the gifts should be returned to the church no later than December 17. If you’re willing to deliver the gifts to the families, we will do so on the 17th.
New Sermon Series
Sermon From Sunday
Exodus A Christmas Story
God's Got Your Back
Moses sees a burning bush, which tells him to go and free his people. Joseph see his future wife pregnant, which will bring shame to him and her. However, God promises them the same promise to us: As we go through struggles in our lives, He will always be with us.
Watch it Today!
https://www.gracelutheranpsl.com/news/exodus-christmas-1
See you Sunday!
The Consolation of Weak Saints - Martin Luther
For these examples of weakness are more necessary for us and bring more consolation than the examples of that heroic and very great fortitude and other virtues.
BY MARTIN LUTHER
I have often stated above and elsewhere that it pleases me greatly and is salutary for us to hear of the weaknesses of the saints, for these examples of weakness are more necessary for us and bring more consolation than the examples of that heroic and very great fortitude and other virtues. Thus the fact that David killed Goliath, a bear, a lion, etc., does not edify me much. For I cannot imitate such things, since they surpass my strength and all my thinking. Although they commend the saints in their strength and heroic fortitude, they do not concern us; for they are too sublime for us to be able to match or imitate them.
But when examples of weakness, sins, trepidation, and trials are set forth in the saints—as when I read David’s complaints, sobs, fears, and feelings of despair—they buoy me up in a wonderful manner and give great consolation. For I see how they, fearful and terrified though they were, did not perish but buoyed themselves up with the promises they had received; and from this I conclude that there is no need for me to despair either. For in this struggle with hell, in fears and struggles of conscience, they feel and speak as if they had no promises at all. Nevertheless, they are finally preserved and sustained by the Word.
Exodus A Christmas Story - God's Got Your Back
Moses sees a burning bush, which tells him to go and free his people. Joseph see his future wife pregnant, which will bring shame to him and her. However, God promises them the same promise to us: As we go through struggles in our lives, He will always be with us.
Watch the Latest Photo Video!
What Had happened at Grace this week.
John the Baptist comes to our Whoville churches and rains on our Christmas parades.