At Grace, we are called by God to be in the city for good! For those interested in volunteering this summer, we invite you to attend the orientation held in the North Room of Hope Hall on June 9th from 11:30a.m. - 1:30 p.m. Lunch will be served. Please RSVP at outreach@graceinthecity.com or call Clottee Hammons at 602-817-8996 if you plan to attend. View PDF flyer.
At the center of our religion, love. What heals us, love. What heals our communities, love. Also, the stated motive of most religious people, regardless of actual outcomes, love. I agree with the Beatles: “All you need is love.”
As we expectantly wait for Christmas, one persona dominates the church world, another persona our culture at large. These two prominent figures both speak of how we should act, what we should do—and the consequences if we do not. The persona of our culture at large? Who can we find everywhere at malls and on cards and sung about in songs during the month of December? Santa Claus.
How about the persona of the church world? Who is it who dominates our Advent stories? Right. John the Baptist.
We are seeking 1-3 volunteers to assist with a closet cleaning project. At Grace, we have accumulated and saved various things that need to be thrown out, sorted through, re-purposed, or given away.
For this volunteer project, you must be comfortable with getting rid of things!
If you have a knack for cleaning and organizing, please check with Pastor Sarah or Adrienne in the church office (officemanager@graceinthecity.com) to coordinate a time to help clean out some of our closets.
Thank you!
We begin a series for The GLOW Show entitled “Open Ears, Open Hearts,” a series of stories from scripture and tradition about listening. Turn off all other noise, both internal and external, and enjoy!
Amos 5:18-24
When I was 22, I worked my third and final summer at a Lutheran Bible Camp in Wisconsin. That final summer, I served as assistant program director of a small camp that reached out to kids living in Milwaukee, most of them unfamiliar with church, camp, and nature. As the assistant program director, I was, among other things, responsible for discipline. You may remember me telling you the story of one 10 year old boy who, scared about camp and wanting to go home, began running home, down the long camp driveway to the wind-ey country road at the end of it, the boy who sat with me on the edge of the basketball court, who sat with me on the edge of field where we played tag, who sat with me even in the canteen while I restocked and ordered candy bars and chips because I couldn’t let him out of my sight—or out of the reach of my arm. Left to his own devices, he called the other kids names, punched them, tripped them, and generally wreaked havoc. I was, for all intents and purposes, the assistant principal of camp. Bully and hurt other campers around me, and you are destined to a week of sitting out every fun game and activity. It’s not that I disliked the kids who picked fights. Actually, I consistently root for the underdog, and the kid who spent most of his week sitting within the reach of my arm, he and I bonded over having nothing to do. Eventually, he started talking to me, and I remember him fondly. But quite obviously, him punching and tripping other campers just wasn’t cool.
In trying to decipher the good news from the prophet Amos’ words to the errant nations of Israel and Judah, I thought of my summer at camp, disciplining the kids who hurt others, bullied others, picked fights with others. In the Old Testament, the phrase “the day of the Lord” moves from simply denoting the Sabbath day to naming the day when God would deliver the Israelites from their enemies. From the Israelites’ perspective, the day of the Lord is a glorious day, a day of rest and worship, a day of God’s care and protection, respectively. By the time of Amos, the prophet whose words we read this morning, “the day of the Lord” no longer refers to the Sabbath or the day of freedom from enemies. Instead, “the day of the Lord” refers to the day of God’s judgment and wrath, a day of justice, the day of God’s kingdom come. And unfortunately, Judah and Israel, the now split kingdom of Israel (politics, we know how it goes), unfortunately, Judah and Israel are on the wrong side of justice. Instead of caring for those living in poverty, instead of taking in orphans and widows, instead of welcoming the stranger and alien as our scripture decrees and defines justice, care of the most vulnerable, the people of Israel and Judah spend their time lounging on beds of ivory and anointing themselves with the finest oils, Amos tells us a chapter later. Instead of their worship and music and rituals leading them to love God and their neighbor, these acts of worship and music and ritual become ends in and of themselves without heart and mind engaged. To these loungers and anointers, worshipers without heart, God hands down truly frightening discipline, a day of the Lord on which someone fleeing from a lion would meet a bear, not literally, of course, but poetically speaking. A day of the Lord during which justice would roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream. For those on the wrong side of justice, for those spiritually idling, the day of the Lord doesn’t sound like good news.
Yet, the day of the Lord is the day of God’s kingdom come, and don’t we pray for that day? Every Sunday, perhaps even more frequently, we bow our heads, fold our hands, and pray the Lord’s Prayer: May your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as in heaven. We pray for the day of the Lord to come! Why?
God sees us, every one of us beloved. God sees our broken world, our indifferent hearts. God sees us hurting one another, failing to care for the most vulnerable, ignoring systems that wound some more than others. And like an assistant program director who stops the kid from punching and tripping other campers ‘cause it’s just not cool, God arrives on the day of the Lord to stop the violence, to restrain those doing the hurting, to make sure everybody is safe and gets loved because those getting hurt are loved as deeply as those doing the hurting. While the day of the Lord smarts for those who perpetrate injustice, for those who have been hurt, again and again, the day of the Lord is like sunshine after years of rain. The day of the Lord brings justice: fairness, an end to oppression, tending to the needs of those marginalized, and the day of the Lord bring righteousness: healthy relationships, strong community, respect. Justice and righteousness come not in a slow trickle but like a deluge. Justice and righteousness come like a deluge because every single person hurt by human sin is dearly loved in the sight of God.
The ancient people of Judah and Israel did not know when the day of the Lord would come. But about seven hundred years later, Jesus would proclaim: The kingdom of heaven has come near! The kingdom came in Jesus, not in its fullness, but he paved the way for God’s kingdom come on earth. In dribs and drabs, we walk the way of God’s kingdom. In dribs and drabs, we work for justice. In dribs and drabs, we build strong community. This kingdom comes among us as we follow the call of the Spirit, as we get on board with what God is already doing among us.
The question of the day is: When have you seen God’s justice or righteousness rain down in our world? To read our community’s reflection, go to the Facebook live feed of the worship on Sunday, November 8, 2020.
I have seen God’s justice rain down in a really mundane way through the advent of social security. At the time the Social Security Administration was created, many older adults lived in poverty. A person might have worked hard their whole life but not been able to save money. Maybe their company didn’t offer a pension. Social Security has, in a really mundane way, provided dignity and basic necessities for millions of older adults, some of the most vulnerable people in our society simply because of inevitable medical concerns as people get older.
In dribs and drabs, the Spirit of God works among us until the day when, like a deluge, the day of the Lord will arrive with justice and righteousness. A day when all injustice will end. A day when the sun will shine. A day of gloom for those who perpetrate injustice, yes. But the good news, the good news of God’s kingdom come is that, whatever God does, God always does for love. Thanks be to God! Amen.
We continue with Stories of Grace, stories of what difference Grace has made in the lives of our community members. This week, we hear from Tim Gallen. Enjoy!
Matthew 5:1-12
Today, we mourn the death of saints gone before us. This year, the list is long. We have mourned throughout the pandemic those we’ve lost to the virus, those who have died of mostly heat-related illness on the streets, those who have died as a result of police brutality or violent protest. Today, we may be mourning the death of someone dear to us, someone who died not of Covid-19 nor of heat stroke on the street, but someone who died of a heart attack or Alzheimer’s, of AIDS or cancer, of drug overdose or in an accident. Perhaps this dear one passed out of our lives years ago, but the sadness and anger of grief linger.
We may be mourning these deaths, and we may be saddened and angered because they could have been prevented. If only they had gone to the doctor earlier… If only they had not been exposed to the virus or the heat… If only we lived in a just society… The “if only”s haunt us.
Yet, on this All Saints Day, we don’t just mourn. We also remember and give thanks to God for the lives of the saints gone before us. We remember our grandmothers and grandfathers, our parents and godparents, our beloved partners and even children whose lives ended tragically early. We remember those with whom we’ve shared in Christian community, the ones who sat in this pew and served on that committee, the ones who taught us the Lord’s Prayer, the ones who listened to us during difficult times over a cup of coffee.
The Question of the Day is: On this All Saints Day, which saint do you remember? What is one way that person blessed your life? You may also post a photo of that person in the feed if you would like. To hear the community’s reflection, go to the Grace Facebook page live stream feed from November 1.
On All Saints Day, we also remember the saints of the church who came long before us. Martin Luther and Johann Sebastien Bach, Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Florence Nightengale, Julian of Norwich and Oscar Romero, Martin Luther King Jr and Sojourner Truth. We remember and give thanks to God for the saints of the church commemorated by our church body whose stories are less familiar to us, like Toyohiko Kagawa who in his home country of Japan established schools, churches, and hospitals among those living in poverty and worked for peace between China and Japan in the mid-20th century. Like Catherine of Siena, the first woman in the Roman Catholic Church to receive the title Doctor of the Church in the 14th century. Both a mystic and an activist, she worked to relieve the suffering of God’s people.
On this All Saints Day, we also remember and give thanks to God for the saints of scripture: Peter and the apostle Paul, Mary and the Woman at the Well, prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah, courageous Esther and loyal Ruth, the prophet Elijah and King David, Moses and Aaron and Miriam, Jacob and Leah and Rachel.
In Jesus’ teaching from Matthew, in what we call the beatitudes, he makes an odd proclamation. Blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted. He speaks blessing upon those who, in our world, especially to those who are reeling from grief, would seem to be the very opposite of blessed, people in the midst of struggle, of emotions they do not understand or like. How is it that those mourning are blessed? Aren’t those mourning ignored, left empty, hurting? In his nonsensical blessing proclamation, Jesus shares good news with people in need of blessing, people who are mourning, and he calls all those who listen to participate in comforting. In Greek, the word comforted is not simply consolation but includes a sense of advocacy on behalf of the one grieving. The word is parakleytheysontai, a word used in the first century in legal contexts. Those being parakleytheysontai had someone intercede for them, to help make things right. Jesus announces this particular beatitude as well as two others in the passive voice, meaning we do not know from his words who is doing the comforting. Presumably God. But in the context of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount where he teaches all those gathered to love their enemies, to let their light so shine before others, to judge not lest they be judged, to bear good fruit, the promise of comfort leads me to believe Jesus invites all his followers to participate in comforting those who mourn. To intercede on behalf of those grieving, especially those who grieve people who died in vain. To make right the conditions that led to the death of beloved people.
How is the Spirit of God calling us to intercede, to comfort those who mourn? And what do we learn from the saints, the saints known to us, the saints lifted up by the church, the saints of scripture gone before us about following Jesus in this particular regard? While all humanity and, indeed, all creatures die, not all death is just or natural or simply the unfolding of an inevitable biological process. This year, more than any before it, I feel the Spirit of God moving us, the people of God, to comfort those who mourn not simply by bringing food (although that is appreciated), not simply by praying (though that is important), not simply by showing up for others (though that is loving and needed), but by working to end the unjust conditions that lead to untimely death. By taking precautions like staying home when we’re sick and wearing a mask, precautions that keep others healthy. By being a good friend to someone who is reluctant to care for themselves. By supporting leaders who make choices that safeguard health and seek to end situations, like homelessness, that make life precarious. By advocating for access to good quality medical care for all people. By advocating for the health and safety of all people, whether or not they have perpetrated a crime against others. These types of advocacy may be controversial, but in the gospel of Matthew, I see an incarnate God who provides healing for people regardless of circumstance, an incarnate God who seeks life and life abundant for all, an incarnate God who by the very way God comes into the world reveals the value of flesh to God.
The saints of scripture, the prophets and witnesses and vessels of God’s Spirit, worked to bring God’s abundant life to all. The saints commemorated by the church took up Jesus’ invitation to comfort the mourning, to intercede, to offer assistance to those grieving. Saints dear to us, our grandparents and parents, Sunday school teachers and friends, they too taught us Jesus’ way of love and justice. Today, good news comes to us not only from the God who comforts us but from the saints who enter into this work with God and alongside all who mourn.
Blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted. Thanks be to God! Amen.
We continue our series Stories of Grace where members of the Grace community share what difference Grace has made in their lives. Today, Brian interviews Pastor Sarah about what difference Grace has made in her life. Enjoy!
On Sunday, November 15 at 10:00 am, we will offer an in-person, outdoor worship in the Grace courtyard for a maximum of 25 people. Please email Adrienne at officemanager@graceinthecity.com to RSVP. The service will be 30 minutes long. Every worshiper will be required to wear a mask the entire time and maintain social distance, except from people in their families or within their “Covid bubble.” Anyone refusing to wear a mask will be asked to leave. Because singing is one of the most risky activities for transmitting Covid-19, we will be unable to sing. However, be ready to clap and make a joyful noise with percussive instruments!
We hope this worship trial will teach us what we need to know about how to safely worship in person—and, assuming we continuing to worship in person outside, help us discern how and when to grow in in-person worship numbers and when to move inside.
On November 15, as always, we will live stream worship at 11:00 am and offer Drive-Through & Walk-Up Holy Communion at 9:00-9:30 am.
The National Lutheran Choir "Virtual All Saints Program" is a free concert on Sunday, November 1 at 4:00 pm Central time, 2:00 pm Arizona time. (Around the country, others will fall back an hour on November 1.) The choir will share music of remembrance, perseverance, and hope with memorial names submitted by listeners as backdrop to the music and message. Join from wherever you are at https://nlca.com/allsaintsnames.
This year, Grace Lutheran Church will be continuing our annual Advent Organ Recital series. The recitals will be on Fridays at noon during Advent. We will have spots available for up to 15 people for live attendance, with advanced reservation. Masks and social distancing required. Please RSVP by email to: officemanager@graceinthecity.com. Livestream will be available via Facebook Live, and the recordings will be available later on YouTube.
November 27: Brandon Burns
December 4: Jeremy Peterman
December 11: Valerie Harris
December 18: Gordon Stevenson
Though we do not know exactly what Christmas at Grace will look like, we will have poinsettias regardless! We have 10 poinsettias available. If you would like to purchase one for $10 to take home with you after the Christmas Eve service, please email Adrienne in the church office at officemanager@graceinthecity.com with 1) how many poinsettias you would like and 2) to whom you would like the flowers listed as in memory or in honor of. If we receive requests for more than 12 poinsettias, we will do our best to accommodate them but cannot guarantee it.
On Election Day, you may want to spend time in prayer and song. If so, you may join the Center for Congregational Song for their Election Day Concert: Vote then Sing, a twelve-hour broadcast featuring songs and hymns to help us pray together, sing together, and be a non-anxious presence in the world.
During the month of November, we celebrate with members & friends of Grace.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
Eva L
Linda S
Daryl S
Kevin E
Andrea S
Ursula O
Alec K
Stephanie N
Holly K
Pastor Sarah
Calvin D
Don L
Bev Z
Lori T
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!
Jason & Leslie
Ames & Evelyn
Peter & Janet
Wayne & Virgina
This is not the Reformation Sunday we expected. We expected a bustling energy in those moments before A Mighty Fortress opened with trumpet resounding. We expected our community, sitting around us, clad in red. We expected, perhaps, a joyous rendition of the Reformation Polka. Normally, on this day, I tell a heroic story of Martin Luther, of a conscience captive to the Word of God, a declaration of “here I stand; I can do no other.” Normally, I lift up the grace of God Luther discovered in the pages of the New Testament and how Luther courageously worked to unravel the corruption of the 16th century church in Germany. Normally, we rejoice in the Spirit of God that brought new life to the church and set us on a trajectory that leads us here, to 1124 N 3rd Street in Phoenix, to today, October 25, 2020. And while Luther’s triumphant story is still true and we still sing A Mighty Fortress with trumpet accompaniment, this is not the Reformation Sunday we expected. On this Reformation Sunday, in this year of pandemic, divisive election, and controversial protests against racism, it occurs to me that our Reformation story of years past is not the only way to tell the story.
Despite his status as a monk and priest, Martin Luther agonized over his sins. When university student Martin Luther began reading the New Testament in its original Greek, he discovered a gracious God. A God who upended the claims of those church leaders who sold indulgences to people who wanted to escape a wrathful God, sales that provided a hefty sum to build St. Peter’s Cathedral in Rome. Compelled by the grace of God, in 1517, Luther nailed 95 theses that critiqued the sale of indulgences to the door of the Wittenberg Castle. He did so as a faithful servant of the church. He did not mean to start a revolution. Indeed, throughout his life, Luther aimed to make the Roman Catholic Church more faithful, more true to the spirit of Jesus, not start a new church altogether. We rightly celebrate his courage for he did not back down from his pioneering theological claims even when facing cardinals, a prince, a duke, and even the pope. He was excommunicated, declared a heretic, and escaped being burned at the stake only by a legal technicality. After the Diet of Worms where Luther refused to recant his heretical writings, the king issued an edict that rendered Luther and his followers, the Lutherans, political outlaws. Fortunately, Frederick, a local civic leader, delivered Luther to the safety and seclusion of Wartburg Castle. Nearly a year later, Luther rejoined society, but when he and others attempted to put reforms into practice, riots and protests erupted. While we may treasure and chiefly remember the theological claims of Martin Luther, his life and work entailed more than Bible study. He was a political dissident, a man wanted, one who found safety in disappearance for his call to reform was unpopular among those in power. By the grace of God, Luther survived those years and is now understood as a major force in the development of western history. But day to day life for Martin Luther was dicey, uncertain, uncomfortable. Embroiled in controversy and no stranger to hardship, Luther found hope in the grace of God poured out for him, in God’s freely given favor towards him. He was not sentenced by a wrathful God nor fighting for God’s favor. In hardship and struggle, Luther clung to God’s grace.
In this unusual year, one that will go down in history as surely as Luther’s life and work did, we are likely uncomfortable and impatient for a return to whatever “normal” will mean now. We are likely grieving and maybe even despairing. Like Luther, our lives are at stake. In a time of real difficulty, the grace of God we celebrate today is not simply a compelling story nor a neat doctrine. The grace of God leads us into a different kind of life, a different way of being in a world short on hope and long on misery. The grace of God does not stamp out the practical difficulties of these days; it may not eliminate our sorrow or even our fear. But confident of God’s grace, we rest assured we are not alone. Because God is for us, nothing in all creation can overcome us. God who is our mighty fortress sends the Spirit to defend us, sends us gifts of the Spirit to empower us, sends the people of God to walk with us. In his commentary on Galatians, Luther wrote: “We find no rest for our weary bones unless we cling to the word of grace.”
Our question of the day is: What is one way you have received god’s grace in your life? Read the Facebook feed from Sunday, October 25 to see the community’s reflection.
I have received God’s grace through so many different people who patiently allow for my mistakes and, most recently, my physical limitations. Just the other day, I met a friend for tea. She came into the tea shop and me, with my weary, gory, painful knees, didn’t get up to greet her but remained seated. With our tea in hand, we left the shop and sat outside. We hadn’t seen each other in months, not just because of the pandemic but because she had traveled to another state to care for her father in the last months of his life and finally to bury him. How are you doing, we both asked each other. Okay. Just okay. Of course, we each listened to each other and each spoke at length about what we’re thinking and how we’re growing and what we’re learning and where we’re finding hope these days. No pretense, no particular words were necessary. It wasn’t just that my friend, by the Holy Spirit, offered me grace and that I offered her grace—although she did and I did too. We felt held by grace, by an easiness, by a love that does not make demands prior to acceptance.
When Luther said, “We find no rest for our weary bones unless we cling to the word of grace,” he was speaking from a place of knowing weariness in real time. On this Reformation Sunday, in a time, again, when the weariness is real, God’s good news for us discovered in the pages of the New Testament is the same for us as it was for Luther: God finds favor with us, accepts us, loves us, not because of anything we’ve done or not done but simply because God is gracious. In that, we find rest. Thanks be to God! Amen.
We continue Stories of Grace with Frankie who shares about growing up at Grace and how Grace has shaped her. Enjoy!
Matthew 22:15-22
In reading the gospel and studying it for this weekend’s sermon, I laughed internally and thought: the Holy Spirit strikes again! In our deep political division, in our non-stop political flyers and phone calls and text messages, in this season of voting which is no longer simply a day, there is perhaps no better scripture to read and ponder. For this story of Jesus’ encounter with the Pharisees and Herodians asks: How do Christians most faithfully engage the world, and more specifically, the government? Or in the words of the Pharisees and Herodians: Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor or not?
For a couple chapters of the gospel of Matthew now, various groups of religious leaders and now civic leaders have listened to Jesus’ parables, parables that critique their power and positions. And now, the Pharisees, Jewish leaders who tend the law, pair up with the Herodians, supporters of King Herod, king of this portion of the Roman Empire. Together, the Pharisees and Herodians approach Jesus wishing to entrap him. Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor or not? The political pressure is real. He cannot say no; that would mean imprisonment for dishonoring the emperor. He cannot say yes; that would mean dishonoring God—and in the presence of the Pharisees. Instead, Jesus asks to see the coin by which people pay the tax. Whose head is it and whose title? He asks. The emperor’s. And what the gospel writer Matthew assumes the reader knows is that stamped on the coin is a message naming Caesar “Son of God.” So, Jesus artfully dodges the question and says: Give to the emperor what is the emperor’s and to God what is God’s. The Pharisees and Herodians are amazed by his answer and leave him.
Jesus’ response leaves me scratching my head. What belongs to the government? And what belongs to God? In 16th century Germany, these questions led Martin Luther to write about the two kingdoms: God’s kingdom on the right and the temporal kingdom on the left. A spiritual kingdom wherein lie those baptized into the body of Christ, hearing God’s word, sharing the good news, serving the neighbor. And a temporal kingdom wherein leaders of state restrain violence and injustice and maintain peace and order. Poor Luther. This is perhaps his most misunderstood theological concept—well, this one or his view on free will. In the 500 years since he penned the doctrine of the two kingdoms, many have misunderstood Luther to say that God is active only in the spiritual realm, that only baptized Christians do the work of God, that God is head of the church, but God hands off power to kings and presidents, legislators and mayors for the care of society. Surely not! Luther would say if he were here today. God is not only Lord of heaven and earth but of both the spiritual and temporal realms. What belongs to the government, and what belongs to God? I think Luther would say this is a false dichotomy since everything belongs to God—even while we recognize two kingdoms, one where God works through the gospel to share grace and one where God works through the law to bring about a just society.
Indeed, it is lawful to pay taxes to the emperor because the emperor himself works for God, to restrain violence and injustice, to maintain peace and order. Just as in the spiritual realm, God reigns in the temporal, at work in leaders and governments. And just as the church struggles to follow God, just as we put our pride before the care of others or fail to listen or fail to serve, so too do leaders of nations struggle to maintain integrity, to keep focused on governing instead of campaigning, to tell the truth. Whether in the spiritual or temporal, the work of the people is inconsistent, limited, broken by sin. But this is God’s world, through and through, and in God’s world, God reigns.
As ever, in these days, God is up to something. God is up to something in the church. God is up to something in the world. God is even up to something in the US government. The question is not: Is God the Lord of the US government? Rather, the question is: What does God’s reign in the US government look like? And the answer is not any different than any other day or time. God’s reign looks like love, like justice, like care for all people but especially those most vulnerable. God’s reign looks like truth and generosity and care for God’s creation. Whoever works for these values, and whichever legislation manifests these values, that is God’s mark.
Our question of the day is: Does your faith influence how you vote? Why or why not? Check the Facebook feed of worship on October 18 to read people’s reflections.
Friends, I hope your faith influences how you vote. I hope, when you consider the candidates and propositions on the ballot, you hold them up to the God you know in Jesus. I hope you are open to the Holy Spirit at work in you. Perhaps life would be easier if we could neatly categorize our choices into buckets of faith-centered choices on one hand and worldly choices on the other, but that is a false dichotomy. Luther’s two kingdoms doctrine teaches us that God is Lord everywhere, even in the ballot box. And today, while Jesus artfully dodges this most political question, the ironic truth of “Give to Cesar what is Cesar’s and to God what is God’s” is that everything is God’s. Thanks be to God! Amen.
Join Lutheran Advocacy Ministry Arizona (LAMA) for its first annual summit of advocates and friends, gathering around the theme, “We come to the Hungry Feast.” Participants will learn more about LAMA, its mission and partners, about how Lutherans connect to advocacy, about food security globally and here in Arizona, and actions we can take in support of LAMA's mission to join with the most vulnerable of our society to voice our common needs in the public square, activating our faith in love.
The virtual summit will be held on Saturday, November 7 from 9:00 am until 12:00 pm.
Click here to get registered: LAMA Virtual Summit: We come to the Hungry Feast
On November 1 and November 5 at 7:00 pm, all are invited to gather for a time of prayer and reflection. In November, the people of the United States will elect a president and others into public office. Join Lutherans of the west and southwest to pray for our nation, for those seeking office, and for God’s beloved community.
The live stream gatherings will be on the Rocky Mountain Synod’s Facebook page, facebook.com/rmselca.
The Hance Park Partner Coalition offers a newsletter to spread awareness about the Hance Park Revitalization Project. Here is the link to read the latest newsletter: Hance Park Newsletter.
The Coalition is a public-private partnership consisting of the City of Phoenix Parks and Recreation Department, Phoenix Community Alliance and Hance Park Conservancy.
Additional information about the Hance Park Revitalization Project is available on the project website: Phoenix.gov/Parks/HanceRevitalization
For the next few weeks, members of the Grace community will share Stories of Grace, how Grace has made a positive impact in their lives. These stories are lifted up as part of our stewardship appeal. We invite all who resonate with these stories to partner with us in making Grace what it is—whether that be through your financial gifts, the sharing of your talents, or simply your presence as part of our community!
Today, we hear Stories of Grace from Lori, Adrienne, and Gus. Enjoy!
Join friends from Phoenix Fusion congregations for a hike! A great way to nurture our physical, mental, and spiritual health, our hikes will bring together small groups of Lutherans in the hills and flatlands of the Phoenix area.
Pastor Sarah from Grace will lead a "Takin' It Easy Hike" on Sunday, October 18 at 4:00 pm. Meet at 104th St. & Bell to hike the Levee Trail.
Sarah Morris from Our Saviour's will lead a "Steppin' It Up Hike" on Thursday, October 22 at 5:00 pm. We'll do part of trail #100. Park at the south end of the North Mountain Visitor Center which is south of Thunderbird on the west side of 7th Street near the horse area.
For questions, contact Pastor Sarah at pastorsarah@graceinthecity.com or Sarah Morris at sarahmorris77@gmail.com.
1124 N Third Street, Phoenix, AZ 85004
