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A Short Theology of Busted Brackets

We depend on absolute, universally comprehensive schemes for a sense of order in life. But the NCAA Tournament makes a mockery of all of that. Our brackets are metaphors for the plans we make.

Read it all here at https://mbird.com/2021/03/a-short-theology-of-busted-brackets/

If the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over but expecting different results, March Madness is a tradition that lives up to its name. Every year, we try to determine the fate of 68 college basketball teams. Despite the odds (1 in 120.2 billion), we daydream of being the first person in history to fill out a perfect bracket. We guess the rise and fall of underdogs and the success of our hometown teams based on a lucky feeling. By the end of the first day of the tournament, our brackets are shadows of their former selves. Like the year before, we are reminded that there are powers at work that are far beyond our control. By the time the next year rolls around, however, we do it all over again in the hopes that the outcome will somehow be different.

There is something irresistible about the NCAA tournament. More brackets were filled out than votes cast for either Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump in 2016. Part of the reason why the tournament is so inviting is because there are no prerequisites. One need not be a super-fan to participate. All it takes is five dollars for the office pool buy-in. Part of what makes the tournament so inviting is the single-elimination factor, so even the heavy favorites can fall unexpectedly. When chaos reigns, it’s really anyone’s guess as to who will win it all. The stats nerd and the coin-flipper have equal footing.

Read it all here at https://mbird.com/2021/03/a-short-theology-of-busted-brackets/

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Service, Sunday, Sermons Cris Escher Service, Sunday, Sermons Cris Escher

[Wednesday] Pilate’s Judgment Hall - Places of the Passion - 5

5th Wednesday in lent 2021: Pilate’s Judgment Hall

Digital Bulletin March 24
Give to Grace
Print and Submit Prayer Requests

What Had happened at Grace this week. 

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Why Do Men Cry Watching Sports Movies?

Men cry at sports movies because they identify with the kid who gets cut from the team, wishing they were more than they were. Most never win “the big one,” whether it be in sports or work.

Read the Whole Article Here https://mbird.com/2021/03/why-do-men-cry-watching-sports-movies/

It’s a cliché, I know. But it’s totally true. Men love sports (or at least 80% of us), and sports movies hit us in ways that rom-coms don’t. Watching two star-crossed lovers on the silver screen might provide its own comfort, but it doesn’t reliably incite waterworks like dramas of athletic glory. “Boy’s Don’t Cry,” as the saying goes. I wish it weren’t so, of course. I don’t get to make the rules. Masculinity is equated with strength — the kind that doesn’t permit public displays of emotion. Call it stoicism or sexism, men don’t often let their guard down to feel so obviously. Sports movies are something of an exception to the rule………………………………

Read the Whole Article Here https://mbird.com/2021/03/why-do-men-cry-watching-sports-movies/

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Service, Sunday, Sermons Cris Escher Service, Sunday, Sermons Cris Escher

[Sunday] What Who - All Nations

The man asked Jesus the same question many have asked throughout time. What do I have to do to get to heaven? Jesus tells us a story about a man who was beaten and robbed and the outcast who cared for him. Turning our questions of what to who?

Digital Bulletin March 21
Check out the 95 Theses

Questions for the Week

  1. In culture today, what lesson does the parable of the Good Samaritan teach us?

  2. Read Luke 10:25-37.   What question is asked of Jesus that he uses the parable to answer?

  3. How does Jesus move the story from “what” you must do in your faith, to “who” you are serving?   

  4. Who is your neighbor that God calls you to show mercy to this week?

Service [above] Sermon releases at 10pm [under]

Give to Grace

---- THIS WEEK AT GRACE - Today March 21 2021

Worship Service 8:30 AM

Second Worship Service and

  video service www.gracelutheranpsl.com 10:15 AM

Zoom into Fellowship 12:00 PM

Korean Church Worship 1:00 PM

AA 7:30 PM

Rest of the week March 22 - 27, 2021

Olivet School 8:30 AM - 1:30 PM

Individual - Small Group Communion Wednesday, 11AM - Noon

Fellowship Brown Bag Meal Wednesday, 5:30- 6:30 PM

Lenten Service (In-person & Livestreamed) Wednesday, 6:30 PM

Bible Study  (also on  Zoom)                                      Thursday, 11 AM

Foster Grandparents Friday. 9 AM - 1 PM  

Korean Church Prayer Gathering Saturday, 6 AM

For complete calendar information, go to www.gracelutheranpsl.com/calendar

HOLY WEEK! MARCH 28 THROUGH APRIL 4, 2021

3/28 - Palm Sunday: 8:30 AM & 10:15 AM

4/1 - Maundy Thursday: 7:00 PM with Communion

4/2 - Good Friday: 12:00 (Noon) and 7:00 PM

4/4 -Easter Sunday: 6:45 AM (outside), 8:30 AM & 10:15 AM (10:15 AM will be livestreamed)

Easter Breakfast Fellowship: starts after Sunrise Service (7:45 ish) and will end at 10:15 AM (ongoing)

BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS THIS WEEK: Greg Schultz - 3/25, David Vik & Tim Glish  - 3/27

THE FLOWERS ADORNING THE ALTAR are given to the glory of God by Sherry Self in memory of Ray.

FELLOWSHIP BROWN BAG MEAL: Our last one this year! Come and join your Grace friends this Wednesday between 5:30 and 6:30 PM for some socially distanced fellowship time.   Bring a meal for yourself and join us.  You don’t need to be right on time at 5:30, however the service will start at 6:30.  This past Wednesday we had 7 for the meal and 20 attended the service.   Come and share in the Fellowship!

FAMILY MEALS! Collection is underway! For a list of needs, please check the bulletin board in the narthex, or place a check in the offering plate marked “Family Meals''. Family Meals, provides the food, families provide the memories. We need your help to provide Easter meal bags to these Saint Lucie families.  Family Meals has set a goal of helping 2300 Treasure Coast families this Easter! This is the last week for the EASTER collection.   

CARENET “ WALK FOR LIFE” Date: April 17, 2021 at 9:00 am, Place: Mid Florida Civic Center.

Those desiring to walk and get pledges and win prizes -pick up your “Pledge sheet” near the front door in Fellowship Hall.    Just sign up with name, email, phone number and amount of pledge, plus how you plan to pay (check, cash, bill me later).

For more information or to contribute cash contact Phil or Judy Fredrich 772-237-2626.

PLEASE CALL PEOPLE:  The COVID quarantines began in March 2020 and many of our members have health conditions which have kept them isolated at home for 9 months.   So that we all don’t descend into madness, let’s call and talk to each other regularly as well as sending cards or notes through the mail.  Phone and address directories are available for your convenience on the counter by the office door. 

COMMUNION ON WEDNESDAY: If you, or someone you know, would like to celebrate Holy Communion but prefer a small group or unable to attend Sunday service, Pastor Cris has set aside Wednesday’s to celebrate the meal in small/family groups.   Please come by on Wednesday at: 11:00, 11:20, 11:40 or 12:00 (noon) and partake of this wonderful meal.   

BIBLE STUDY FOR ALL!  Pastor Cris is conducting a Bible Study on Thursday’s at 11 AM and you are welcome to attend in person!  Seating is with social distancing along with wearing a mask.   The Bible Study is also “live streamed” through ZOOM as well for you to participate from home.  (www.GracelutheranPSL.com) Also, recorded for your future viewing if you would like.

SEE YOUR GRACE FAMILY ON ZOOM:  Coli, along with Pastor, will be hosting  Zoom to Coffee at NOON, TODAY, for those who would like to join in fellowship “virtually” to see and chat with Grace members and friends.  All are welcome!  www.GraceLutheranPSL.com

GIVING: We are here to provide “Grace and Peace in this Chaotic and Lonely Time” to those in our church and community. Thank you for your past and continual prayers and financial support to Grace and your community. We have added Paypal for online donations. If you would like to give through Paypal, please go to: www.GraceLutheranPSL.com and click the “GIVE” button on the upper right side of the page.

Print and Submit Prayer Requests

What Had happened at Grace this week. 

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When Weakness Is What Saves You

Those who are most worthy to receive a dose have been deemed so by a genuinely paradoxical measure. The vulnerable and at risk go first. The rollout has been a far from perfect system, but its ideals aimed to place the needy at the front of the line. Like grace itself, weakness is the only qualification.

Read original Article here https://mbird.com/2021/03/when-weakness-is-what-saves-you/

In the very early days of health policy decisions, there was a not-so-straightforward debate. Should the vaccines be used to prevent deaths or slow the spread? Do you first give it to senior citizens who are far more likely to die from Covid, or do you give it to younger people and more urban residents who are far more likely to spread the disease? If you aim to slow the spread, “normal life” might return more quickly, but at the expense of higher mortality rates among the elderly.

The answer to this quandary might sound obvious now, but it’s a small window into a broader landscape of untraveled possibilities for how the vaccine might have been distributed. When former NBA player Charles Barkley suggested that higher taxpayers (like professional athletes) should get “preferential treatment” for the Covid vaccine — even if it meant that people would die — his comments were immediately dismissed, but such a possibility isn’t unimaginable. Drug companies could have been permitted to sell their drugs to corporations or individuals willing to pay a premium. The vaccine could have been first given to U.S. citizens, to those without criminal records, to Democratic-voting states over Republican- ones, or to people with longer life expectancies.

It’s been far from the dystopian future of apocalyptic movies. Going back to last fall, policy makers essentially chose to save lives, to value human life above all else. As much as it’s true that the country is divided across partisan, social, and economic lines, the unified approach to distribution thus far has been nothing short of astonishing. If the fear of death divided the nation, the hope promised by the vaccine seems to have largely united it. 

Which isn’t to say that mistakes haven’t been made. Or that there hasn’t been a debate about the rollout. A lot of people are justifiably upset about a myriad of policy details. But the tenor of the conversation has more to do with charity in ways that are worth appreciating. People have clearly disagreed about how to save lives, but the ideal is largely agreed upon: those at most risk should get their doses first. The outrage over line-jumpers reflects a belief that the existing guidelines are correct. The debate over whose occupation might be deemed essential has more to do with the risk of exposure than social stratification. 

There may be vaccine envy, but not to the point of demanding preferred treatment. There has been frustration at not getting an appointment, but not to the point of arguing that one life matters more than others. I know that many are still on waitlists, but my elderly neighbor got the vaccine before Jeff Goldblum, Tom Hanks, the Duke of Sussex, and Dolly Parton. 

Those who are most worthy to receive a dose have been deemed so by a genuinely paradoxical measure. The vulnerable and at risk go first. The rollout has been a far from perfect system, but its ideals aimed to place the needy at the front of the line. Like grace itself, weakness is the only qualification.

It’s easy to miss just how profoundly Christian this approach has at least tried to be. It could have been otherwise. In ancient Rome there was little regard for the weak. As Tom Holland wrote in his book Dominion:

The heroes of the Iliad, favorites of the gods, golden and predatory, had scorned the weak and downtrodden. So too […] had the philosophers. The starving deserved no sympathy. Beggars were best rounded up and deported. Pity risked undermining a wise man’s self-control.

When a particularly terrible plague hit the empire in 250 AD, those who began to show symptoms were thrown out into the street for dead, and it was the Christians who gave them water, baths, and food. It was Jesus who compared his ministry to that of a physician, providing blessing for the poor and health to the sick. The Christian care for those who could not afford doctors inspired a 4th-century bishop to found what is likely the first major hospital, with free treatment, bed, shelter, and food.

Taking our cue from our inheritance of the Christian virtue of charity, it’s been decided that the collective good is accomplished when the defenseless and at-risk are protected from the plague. Meritocracy, deserving, and survival-of-the-fittest this is not. Instead, there is a line that places the aged and endangered at the front.

When it was rumored in December that Bill Gates hadn’t been vaccinated, the conspiracy theory rumor mill suggested he thought the vaccine wasn’t safe. He had funded vaccine research with hundreds of millions of dollars. Surely, if he wanted the two jabs he would have gotten it. But it turns out the real answer was far more inspiring. He was waiting for his place in line — just like everyone else.

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Service, Sunday, Sermons Cris Escher Service, Sunday, Sermons Cris Escher

[Wednesday] Courtyard- Places of the Passion - 4

4th Wednesday in lent 2021: Courtyard

Digital Bulletin March 17
Give to Grace
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What Had happened at Grace this week. 

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Service, Sunday, Sermons Cris Escher Service, Sunday, Sermons Cris Escher

[Sunday] Who Carried - All Nations

Jesus says all through the gospel to take up your cross. He was going to die but rise again and we should take up his cross. But after he was arrested, all his friends and followers were nowhere to be found to take up his cross. So then who carried it?

Digital Bulletin March 14

Questions for the Week

  1. Have you ever given up something in lent to help follow Jesus?  What did that experience teach you?

  2. Read Matthew 16:21-28.  What does it look like to pick up your cross, denying yourself and following Jesus?  How successful were the disciples at doing this?

  3. Read Matthew 27:31-33.  This is the first and only time Simon the Cyrene is mentioned in Matthew.   Where do you think the disciples were at this time?

  4. If you would have been a disciple how would you have felt to see someone else carrying the cross for Jesus?

  5. How does Jesus ultimately carry the cross for the disciples and for you?  What does this mean for your faith?

Service [above] Sermon releases at 10pm [under]

AdobeStock_277892236.jpeg
Give to Grace

---- THIS WEEK AT GRACE - Today March 14. 2021

Worship Service 8:30 AM

Second Worship Service and

  video service www.gracelutheranpsl.com 10:15 AM

Zoom into Fellowship Resume Next Week

Korean Church Worship 1:00 PM

AA 7:30 PM

Rest of the week March 15 - 20, 2021

Olivet School Spring Break - not meeting

Saint Patrick’s Day Wednesday

Individual - Small Group Communion Wednesday, 11AM - Noon

Fellowship Brown Bag Meal Wednesday, 5:30- 6:30 PM

Lenten Service (In-person & Livestreamed) Wednesday, 6:30 PM

Bible Study Thursday, 11 AM

          also on  Zoom  

Korean Church Prayer Gathering Saturday, 6 AM

For complete calendar information, go to www.gracelutheranpsl.com/calendar

BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS THIS WEEK: Barbara Scheer and Sabian Sukhai - 3/18

THE FLOWERS ADORNING THE ALTAR are given to the Glory of God by Kevin and Gary Garbers in memory of their mother Arlene.

FELLOWSHIP BROWN BAG MEAL: Come and join your Grace friends this Wednesday between 5:30 and 6:30 PM for some socially distanced fellowship time.   Bring a meal for yourself and join us.  You don’t need to be right on time at 5:30, however the service will start at 6:30.  This past Wednesday we had 11 for the meal and 24 attend the service.   Come and share in the Fellowship!

FAMILY MEALS! Collection is underway! For a list of needs, please check the bulletin board in the narthex, or place a check in the offering plate marked “Family Meals''. Family Meals, provides the food, families provide the memories. We need your help to provide Easter meal bags to these Saint Lucie families.  Family Meals has set a goal of helping 2300 Treasure Coast families this Easter!

PLEASE CALL PEOPLE:  The COVID quarantines began in March 2020 and many of our members have health conditions which have kept them isolated at home for 9 months.   So that we all don’t descend into madness, let’s call and talk to each other regularly as well as sending cards or notes through the mail.  Phone and address directories are available for your convenience on the counter by the office door. 

COMMUNION ON WEDNESDAY: If you, or someone you know, would like to celebrate Holy Communion but prefer a small group or unable to attend Sunday service, Pastor Cris has set aside Wednesday’s to celebrate the meal in small/family groups.   Please come by on Wednesday at: 11:00, 11:20, 11:40 or 12:00 (noon) and partake of this wonderful meal.   

BIBLE STUDY FOR ALL!  Pastor Cris is conducting a Bible Study on Thursday’s at 11 AM and you are welcome to attend in person!  Seating is with social distancing along with wearing a mask.   The Bible Study is also “live streamed” through ZOOM as well for you to participate from home.  (www.GracelutheranPSL.com) Also, recorded for your future viewing if you would like.

SEE YOUR GRACE FAMILY ON ZOOM:  Coli, along with Pastor, will be hosting  Zoom to Coffee at NOON, TODAY, for those who would like to join in fellowship “virtually” to see and chat with Grace members and friends.  All are welcome!  www.GraceLutheranPSL.com
GIVING: We are here to provide “Grace and Peace in this Chaotic and Lonely Time” to those in our church and community. Thank you for your past and continual prayers and financial support to Grace and your community. We have added Paypal for online donations. If you would like to give through Paypal, please go to: www.GraceLutheranPSL.com and click the “GIVE” button on the upper right side of the page.

Print and Submit Prayer Requests

What Had happened at Grace this week. 

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The Narrow Door of the Cross

“It is not what he does, it is what he is. He is all open door: to sorrow, suffering, guilt, despair, horror, everything that cannot be escaped, and he does not even try to escape it, he turns to meet it, and claims it all as his own. This is mine now, he is saying; and he embraces it.”

Read the Whole Article here https://mbird.com/2021/03/the-narrow-door-of-the-cross/

Leigh Stein is the author of the new novel Self-Care. It’s a satire of the wellness industry and social media influencer culture. In a recent op-ed for the New York Times, “The Empty Religions of Instagram,” Stein confesses that she too fell for the accessible combination of self-care, social justice activism, and tongue-in-cheek Christianity proclaimed by the charismatic “preachers” on platforms like Instagram. Acknowledging that almost a quarter of all millennials in America claim no religious affiliation at all, Stein nonetheless questions if such statistics reveal a reduced rate of religiosity or if instead “our belief systems [are] too bespoke to appear on a list of major religions in a Pew phone survey.” Stein suspects the latter is the case. She writes,

Our new belief system is a blend of left-wing political orthodoxy, intersectional feminism, self-optimization, therapy, wellness, astrology and Dolly Parton. And we’ve found a different kind of clergy: personal growth influencers. Women like Glennon Doyle, who offer nones like us permission, validation and community on demand at a time when it’s nearly impossible to share communion in person. We don’t even have to put down our phones………………………………………………….

Read the Whole Article here https://mbird.com/2021/03/the-narrow-door-of-the-cross/

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Service, Sunday, Sermons Cris Escher Service, Sunday, Sermons Cris Escher

[Wednesday] Gethsemane - Places of the Passion - 3

4th Wednesday in lent 2021: Courtyard

Digital Bulletin March 10
Give to Grace
Print and Submit Prayer Requests

What Had happened at Grace this week. 

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Service, Sunday, Sermons Cris Escher Service, Sunday, Sermons Cris Escher

[Sunday] Painted Apart - All Nations

Look at the stark separation, a clear delineation showing clear cultural lines of separation between people. But Jesus crosses this separation to bring healing, not just to the servant, but to all nations.

Digital Bulletin March 7

Questions for the Week

  1. Describe a time when you felt far apart from Jesus.

  2. Read Matthew 8:5-13.  What type of cultural distance would there have been between this Roman soldier and the followers of Jesus?

  3. How does Jesus bridge the gap between himself and the centurion (soldier)?

  4. What are some ways to show someone that Jesus is with them in tough times?

Service [above] Sermon releases at 10pm [under]

The Bulletproof Missionary Book
Give to Grace

---- THIS WEEK AT GRACE - Today March 7. 2021

Worship Service 8:30 AM

Second Worship Service and

  video service www.gracelutheranpsl.com 10:15 AM

Zoom into Fellowship 12:00 PM - Noon

Korean Church Worship 1:00 PM

AA 7:30 PM

Rest of the week March 7 - 13, 2021

Adopt-A-Mile Tuesday, 8:30 AM

Olivet School Tuesday, 8 AM - 1 PM

Individual - Small Group Communion Wednesday, 11AM - Noon

Fellowship Brown Bag Meal Wednesday, 5:30 - 6:30 PM

Lenten Service (In-person & Livestreamed) Wednesday, 6:30 PM

Bible Study Thursday, 11 AM

          also on  Zoom  

Foster Grandparents Friday, 8:30 AM- 12:30 PM

Korean Church Prayer Gathering Saturday, 6 AM

Daylight Savings Time weekend - set ahead before going to bed Saturday night!

For complete calendar information, go to www.gracelutheranpsl.com/calendar

BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS THIS WEEK   Vivian Barto, Joe Gannon & 

 Mr. Jan Lendak - 3/08,  Pam White - 3/13

THE FLOWERS ADORNING THE ALTAR are given to the Glory of God by Pastor Kim in celebration of the Kims’ 26th wedding anniversary.

FELLOWSHIP BROWN BAG MEAL: Come and join your Grace friends this Wednesday between 5:30 and 6:30 PM for some socially distanced fellowship time.   Bring a meal for yourself and join us.  You don’t need to be right on time at 5:30, however the service will start at 6:30.  This past Wednesday we had 11 for the meal and 24 attend the service.   Come and share in the Fellowship!

FAMILY MEALS! Collection is underway! For a list of needs, please check the bulletin board in the narthex, or place a check in the offering plate marked “Family Meals''. Family Meals, provides the food, families provide the memories. We need your help to provide Easter meal bags to these Saint Lucie families.  Family Meals has set a goal of helping 2300 Treasure Coast families this Easter!

ADOPT-A-MILE will be THIS Tuesday, March 9th at 8:30 AM!   The meeting place will be on the corner of Torino and Conus.  For more information contact: Judy Fredrich (561) 315-9555  or retslvnlg@outlook.com

PLEASE CALL PEOPLE:  The COVID quarantines began in March 2020 and many of our members have health conditions which have kept them isolated at home for 9 months.   So that we all don’t descend into madness, let’s call and talk to each other regularly as well as sending cards or notes through the mail.  Phone and address directories are available for your convenience on the counter by the office door. 

COMMUNION ON WEDNESDAY: If you, or someone you know, would like to celebrate Holy Communion but prefer a small group or unable to attend Sunday service, Pastor Cris has set aside Wednesday’s to celebrate the meal in small/family groups.   Please come by on Wednesday at: 11:00, 11:20, 11:40 or 12:00 (noon) and partake of this wonderful meal.   

BIBLE STUDY FOR ALL!  Pastor Cris is conducting a Bible Study on Thursday’s at 11 AM and you are welcome to attend in person!  Seating is with social distancing along with wearing a mask.   The Bible Study is also “live streamed” through ZOOM as well for you to participate from home.  (www.GracelutheranPSL.com) Also, recorded for your future viewing if you would like.

SE YOUR GRACE FAMILY ON ZOOM:  Coli, along with Pastor, will be hosting  Zoom to Coffee at NOON, TODAY, for those who would like to join in fellowship “virtually” to see and chat with Grace members and friends.  All are welcome!  www.GraceLutheranPSL.com
GIVING: We are here to provide “Grace and Peace in this Chaotic and Lonely Time” to those in our church and community. Thank you for your past and continual prayers and financial support to Grace and your community. We have added Paypal for online donations. If you would like to give through Paypal, please go to: www.GraceLutheranPSL.com and click the “GIVE” button on the upper right side of the page.

Print and Submit Prayer Requests

What Had happened at Grace this week. 

Read More
Daily, News Cris Escher Daily, News Cris Escher

Tony Young Memorial

Memorial Live Streamed at 3Pm on Saturday March 6th

Live Stream on Saturday March 6th at 3pm
from church website/YouTube
https://youtu.be/M1aS-VeLxng

        In lieu of flowers, the family is asking for donations to:

 Grace Lutheran Church

        Alzheimer Daycare Building Fund

         555 SW Cashmere Blvd

        Port St. Lucie FL  34986

772-871-6599

Grace Giving Page & Info

Obituary

Anton “Tony” John Young was born on August 27, 1933 in Gakova, Yugoslavia.  On February 22, 2021, he entered Heaven’s gates and reunited with his precious “Babs.”

 Tony’s early life was marked by adversity.  In the closing days of World War II, Tony lost both of his parents to war, soon finding himself imprisoned in one of the concentration camps established by the Yugoslav government.  Family smuggled Tony out of the camp and into Austria, where—in 1948—he was able to immigrate to Canada.  At 14 years old, Tony began attending first grade classes to learn the English language.  By the age of 15, he had mastered the language but was on his own.

 Tony worked hard to build a life for himself and his family.  As a teenager, despite needing to leave school to work on the farm, Tony used the money that he saved to pay for tutoring.  In 1950, he met the love of his life, Barbara Brandner.  Tony and Barbara were united in holy matrimony on November 7, 1953. Their union was blessed with four children.  In 1961, Tony obtained a job with General Motors, which took him, Barbara and their children to Flint, Michigan.  For the family, Flint would become home, and Tony worked for General Motors for over 30 years.

 In 2002, Tony and Barbara moved to Florida full-time.  There, they enjoyed active lifestyles, as well as frequent visits from family and friends.  Eventually all four of their children ended up moving to Florida, which made Tony, the consummate “Family Man,” the happiest ever.

 Tony’s faith was an important component of his life.  While living in Flint, he was involved in the St. Paul Lutheran Church community.  Later, when Tony and Babs settled in Florida, they became very active members of Grace Lutheran in Port St. Lucie.

 Tony was a survivor and a hard worker.  He was the most ethical of people and taught his family that it’s not the material things that matter.  A loving husband and father, he treasured his family and embraced every moment with them. His mantra was always Faith, Family, and Friends.

His incredible life journey and example will forever be cherished in the lives of his family.

 Tony was preceded in death by his wife Barbara “Babs” Young, his sister Mary, his brother-in-law Martin, and his son Ronald Young.  He is survived by his son Richard (Theresa) Young, his daughters Linda (Jacques) Lamothe and Lori (Tim) McAlear, and his two grandchildren Jordan Lamothe and Lauren Lamothe.  He is also survived by his brother-in-law Walter (Ilene) Brandner, cousins Ray (Janet) Jung and Burga (Demos) Jung, and many other cousins, nieces, nephews and great nieces and nephews.

 A “virtual” funeral service celebrating his life will be held on Saturday March 6th   at 3:00pm.  The service can be viewed at www.GraceLutheranPSL.com/TonyYoung

        In lieu of flowers, the family is asking for donations to:

 Grace Lutheran Church

        Alzheimer Daycare Building Fund

         555 SW Cashmere Blvd

        Port St. Lucie FL  34986

772-871-6599

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Service, Sunday, Sermons Cris Escher Service, Sunday, Sermons Cris Escher

[Wednesday] Mount of Olives - Places of the Passion - 2

2nd Wednesday in lent 2021: Mount of Olives

Digital Bulletin March 3
Give to Grace
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What Had happened at Grace this week. 

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The Useful Sinner: A Story of Grace in Practice

When I could see myself for what I was, much of the Bible had a new meaning which spoke to my circumstances. I was struck by the involvement of Jesus with the worst elements of society and the scripture writers’ delicate use of the term “sinners” in quotation marks to describe people.

Read the complete article here https://mbird.com/2021/01/the-useful-sinner-a-story-of-grace-in-practice/

God’s chief agents have often been notoriously weak. Moses, a murderer, was chosen to deliver the tablets of law, which contained a prohibition against his crime. Peter, a liar and coward, became a great leader of the church. David, a murdering adulterer whose misdeeds were fully chronicled, was the greatest king of the chosen people and was frequently quoted by Jesus during his ministry. Jesus used David’s words as he was dying on a cross, and St. Paul described him as a man after God’s heart. While we cannot hope to avoid sin, we can take comfort in knowing that there is a marvelous collection of useful sinners who have gone before.

Read the complete article here https://mbird.com/2021/01/the-useful-sinner-a-story-of-grace-in-practice/

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Service, Sunday, Sermons Cris Escher Service, Sunday, Sermons Cris Escher

[Sunday] Crumbs and Crosses - All Nations

She is unworthy but is wanting something from Jesus. Will she fight for what she wants, or will she show us that the kingdom of God is made up of mustard seeds, crumbs, and crosses?

Digital Bulletin Feb 28

Questions for the Week

  1. Describe a time when a stereotype might cause you to think poorly of someone.

  2. Read Mark 7:24-30.   Knowing that the Syrophoenician woman is from the same place as Jezebel (an evil person from the Old Testament, 1 Kings 16), what might the disciples think about this outsider to the faith?  

  3. How does she respond to Jesus?   How can you see her humility?

  4. What are some opportunities for you to be the hands and feet of Jesus that involve humble service towards your neighbor?  

Service [above] Sermon releases at 10pm [under]

Give to Grace

---- THIS WEEK AT GRACE - Today February 28. 2021

Worship Service 8:30 AM

Second Worship Service and

  video service www.gracelutheranpsl.com 10:15 AM

Zoom into Fellowship 12:00 PM - Noon

Korean Church Worship 1:00 PM

AA 7:30 PM

Rest of the week March 1 - 6, 2021

LWML Meeting Monday, 1 PM

Olivet School Tuesday, 8 AM - 1 PM

Individual - Small Group Communion Wednesday, 11AM - Noon

Fellowship Brown Bag Meal Wednesday, 5:30 - 6:30 PM

Lenten Service (In-person & Livestreamed) Wednesday, 6:30 PM

Bible Study Thursday, 11 AM

          also on  Zoom  

Korean Church Prayer Gathering Saturday, 6 AM

Marge Neuberger Memorial Saturday, 10 AM

For complete calendar information, go to www.gracelutheranpsl.com/calendar

BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS THIS WEEK Elizabeth Griffin - 2/28, 

Ed Bock - 2/29, Sandy Zanzig - 3/1, Melinda Linderman - 3/3, 

Gene Liagre - 3/6

THE FLOWERS ADORNING THE ALTAR are given to the Glory of God by Melville & Lucille Mills. 

LWML LADIES Will be meeting tomorrow, Monday, March 1st at 1PM.   Bring a friend and share the love, fun and fellowship!   Please pick up a copy of the  Bible Study for the meeting it is on the table by the exit door.  

FELLOWSHIP BROWN BAG MEAL: Come and join your Grace friends this Wednesday between 5:30 and 6:30 PM for some socially distanced fellowship time.   Bring a meal for yourself and join us.  You don’t need to be right on time at 5:30, however the service will start at 6:30.  This past Wednesday we had 12 for the meal and 26 attend the service.   Come and share in the Fellowship!

CALLED HOME: This past Monday, 2/22, we were informed that Tony Young had passed away and our former member, retired pastor Ron Irsch also passed away.   Please keep both their families in your thoughts and prayers.    Bettie Irsch’s current address is: 1944 Outer Circle Drive; Oviedo, FL, 32765.

MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR MARGE NEUBERGER This next Saturday, March 6, 2021, Grace will hold a Memorial Service for our sister in the faith, Marge Neuberger, who was called home to rest on December 20, 2020.   Please come and help support her husband Norm and the family. The service starts at 10 AM. 

FAMILY MEALS! Collection is underway! For a list of needs, please check the bulletin board in the narthex.  Families helping families understand the importance of a family meal shared around the family table. Family Meals, provides the food, families provide the memories. We need your help to provide Easter meal bags to these Saint Lucie families. Family Meals set a goal of helping 2300 Treasure Coast families this Easter!

PLEASE CALL PEOPLE:  The COVID quarantines began in March 2020 and many of our members have health conditions which have kept them isolated at home for 9 months.   So that we all don’t descend into madness, let’s call and talk to each other regularly as well as sending cards or notes through the mail.  Phone and address directories are available for your convenience on the counter by the office door. 

WINN DIXIE SUPPORT For the month of February Winn Dixie on Bayshore and PSL Boulevard will donate $1 for each reusable bag you purchase for $2.49 to Grace Lutheran for the Alzheimer's Community Care center.   Grace received $40 last year from this effort. 

COMMUNION ON WEDNESDAY: If you, or someone you know, would like to celebrate Holy Communion but prefer a small group or unable to attend Sunday service, Pastor Cris has set aside Wednesday’s to celebrate the meal in small/family groups.   Please come by on Wednesday at: 11:00, 11:20, 11:40 or 12:00 (noon) and partake of this wonderful meal.   

BIBLE STUDY FOR ALL!  Pastor Cris is conducting a Bible Study on Thursday’s at 11 AM and you are welcome to attend in person!  Seating is with social distancing along with wearing a mask.   The Bible Study is also “live streamed” through ZOOM as well for you to participate from home.  (www.GracelutheranPSL.com) Also, recorded for your future viewing if you would like.

SEE YOUR GRACE FAMILY ON ZOOM:  Coli, along with Pastor, will be hosting  Zoom to Coffee at NOON, TODAY, for those who would like to join in fellowship “virtually” to see and chat with Grace members and friends.  All are welcome!  www.GraceLutheranPSL.com

GIVING: We are here to provide “Grace and Peace in this Chaotic and Lonely Time” to those in our church and community.  Thank you for your past and continual prayers and financial support to Grace and your community.    We have added Paypal for online donations. If you would like to give through Paypal, please go to: www.GraceLutheranPSL.com and click the “GIVE” button on the upper right side of the page.

Print and Submit Prayer Requests

What Had happened at Grace this week. 

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Read Cris Escher Read Cris Escher

Why The Beatitudes Are Still So Revolutionary

If God blesses us at the bottom, in our failure, it changes how we interact with everyone else in the world.

Read the complete article here https://www.relevantmagazine.com/faith/why-the-beatitudes-are-still-so-revolutionary/

I’m sitting on a hillside overlooking Galilee, where tradition and scholars say that Jesus spoke his Sermon on the Mount.

It’s my third time here. I love it. Each time, there’s a sense of coming home.

To my right I can see the city of Tiberius, which was founded by Herod Antipas, the son of Herod the Great, and named after the Roman emperor Tiberius in the year AD 20. Beyond that into the distance is the land known as the West Bank, the Occupied Territories, or simply Palestine. Ahead of me is the Sea of Galilee, and on the horizon, the mouth of the Jordan River.

To my left I can see the hills of the Golan Heights, and beyond there is Syria with all its suffering and chaos.

If I walk a mile or two down the hillside, I will reach Capernaum, where Peter lived, the scene of so many stories from the Christian Scriptures.

I sit here in the Mediterranean sunshine, thinking and meditating and contemplating life with all its interweaving of people and stories and joy and pain.

Read the complete article here https://www.relevantmagazine.com/faith/why-the-beatitudes-are-still-so-revolutionary/

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News Cris Escher News Cris Escher

Texas Supplies Needed.

Texas Needs supplies. If you would like to help. Here is where you can send some supplies.

Supplies Needed

If you can help with plumbing supplies, please send them to the
Texas District warehouse at:

Concordia Lutheran Church
16801 Huebner Road
San Antonio, TX 78258
Attention: Julie Tucker

Even small quantities will help repair homes, schools and churches.

Plumbing Material Needs

Copper pipe
◦ 1/2 inch
◦ 3/4 inch
◦ 1 inch

Copper fittings
◦ 1/2 inch 90s Tees, caps, couplings, male adapters and female adapters
◦ 3/4 inch 90s tees, caps, couplings, male adapters and female adapters
◦ 1 inch 90s tees, caps, couplings, male adapters and female adapters

PVC PIPE
◦ Schedule 40 – 1/2 inch, 3/4 inch, 1 inch
◦ Schedule 80- 1/2 inch, 3/4 inch, 1 inch

PVC fittings
◦ Schedule 40 and schedule 80
◦ 1/2 inch 90s tees, caps, plugs, couplings, male adapters, female adapters
◦ 3/4 inch 90s tees, caps, couplings, female and male adapters
◦ 1 inch 90s tees, caps, couplings, female and male adapters

PEX tubing
◦ 1 inch
◦ 3/4 inch
◦ 1/2 inch

Fittings for PEX tubing
◦ 1 inch tees, 90s male adapters and female adapters
◦ 3/4 inch tees, 90s male adapters and female adapters
◦ 1/2 inch tees, 90s male adapters and female adapters

Iron pipe ball valves
◦ 1/2 inch
◦ 3/4 inch
◦ 1 inch

Read More