11460 60 Ave NW, Edmonton, AB. T6H 1J5 Canada. 780-434-1671
Next Church Service Sunday April 6, 2025 Lent 5
Holy Communion 3rd Sundays of the month
The Book of Concord
Visit this site to access the Book of Concord
BookOfConcord.org · The Original Home of the Book of Concord
Long Range Development Plan Amendment Open House
South Campus – Sector 12 Long Range Development Plan Amendment
On February 25, 2025, the University of Alberta held a public information meeting to review information about plans for the South Campus – Sector 12 Long Range Development Plan Amendment. University of Alberta representatives were on hand to answer questions.
View the presentation slides open in a new tab
Provide your comments open in a new tab
Comments will be accepted until March 18, 2025.
If you have any questions, please contact Emily Ball at (780) 492-4345 or by e-mail at emily.ball@ualberta.ca.
North Campus
April 6, 2025
Next Church Service Sunday
Martin Luther's Morning/Evening Prayer
Make the sign of the Holy Cross and say:
Morning Prayer
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
I thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have kept me this night from all harm and danger; and I pray that You would keep me this day also from sin and every evil, that all my doings and life may please You. For into Your hands I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen.
Evening Prayer
In the evening when you go to bed, make the sign of the holy cross and say: In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
I thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have graciously kept me this day; and I pray that You would forgive me all my sins where I have done wrong, and graciously keep me this night. For into Your hands I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen.
Then go to sleep at once and in good cheer.
2026 LCC Synod Convention June 12-15, 2026
2026 LCC Synod Convention June 12-15, 2026
2026 LCC Synod Convention - Lutheran Church–Canada
2026 Convention Updates - The Canadian Lutheran
Welcome to the 2026 LCC Synod Convention Info-page
Lutheran Church–Canada (LCC)’s 13th Regular Convention will be held in Winnipeg from June 12-15, 2026, gathering under the theme “Together One: One Lord, One Faith, One Body” (Ephesians 4:4-6). The Convention was last held in the Central Region in 2008 under the theme “Give Jesus Glory – His Calling, Our Praise.”
The start of business related to this synod convention will begin on March 20, 2025, with the first meeting of the Commission on Nominations and Elections (CNE). The CNE manages the nomination process for elected positions at the synodical and regional levels, monitors the vetting process of nominees, and supervises the election of candidates to various positions at conventions of LCC.
News pertaining to LCC’s Synod Convention will be released on an ongoing basis in The Canadian Lutheran and on CanadianLutheran.ca; as well as in LCC’s weekly e-newsletter InfoDigest.
2022 LCC Synod Convention June 10-13, 2022
2022 LCC Synod Convention June 10-13, 2022
https://www.canadianlutheran.ca/elections-for-lccs-board-of-directors-commissions/
https://www.lutheranchurchcanada.ca/synod-convention-2022/
CONVENTION WORKBOOK:
https://www.lutheranchurchcanada.ca/convention-workbook-2022/
CONVENTION DATES: The Twelfth Regular Convention of Lutheran Church–Canada will meet from June 10-13, 2022
CONVENTION LOCATION: The convention will be held at the Delta Hotels Edmonton South Conference Centre in Edmonton, Alberta
FIFTH SUNDAY IN LENT
(6 April 2025)
Isaiah 43:16–21
Philippians 3:(4b–7) 8–14
Luke 20:9–20
God’s Beloved Son Has Redeemed Us
Our life and works apart from Christ, no matter how they may glitter to the eyes of the world, are ultimately rubbish and have no righteousness. Rather, in the scandalous cross of Jesus, we find our righteousness alone “through faith in Christ” (Phil. 3:9). By such faith, we “know him and the power of his resurrection” (Phil. 3:10). For the same God who brought Israel out of Egypt has done a “new thing” for us in Christ Jesus (Is. 43:19). He has sent His beloved Son into His vineyard to be killed by sinful men and to become “the stone that the builders rejected.” Yet, the One rejected by men “has become the cornerstone” of His Church (Luke 20:17). Through the waters of Holy Baptism, He provides us daily refreshment in our earthly pilgrimage, “a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert” (Is. 43:19). LCMS Summaries
Introit (Psalm 3)
P: Salvation belongs to the Lord.
C: Give Your blessing to Your people!
P: Lord, You are my protection.
C: You are my glory. You make me look-up.
P: I shouted to the Lord for help.
C: He answered me from His holy hill.
P: I laid-down and slept.
C: I woke-up again because the Lord took-care of me.
P: I will not fear thousands of people,
C: No-matter they are all against me, I will not fear.
All: Glory give to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, the same as it was in the beginning, is now, and will continue forever. Amen.
Prayer for God’s Word
P: Almighty God, in Your great goodness, look on Your people with mercy. Then You will lead and protect us always, our body and soul. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord. Jesus lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C: (copy) Amen.
What Is a Lutheran?
While there are a variety of ways one could answer this question, one very important answer is simply this, “A Lutheran is a person who believes, teaches and confesses the truths of God’s Word as they are summarized and confessed in the Book of Concord.” The Book of Concord contains the Lutheran confessions of faith.
Perhaps you have attended an ordination of a pastor and heard him promise that he will perform the duties of his office in accord with the Lutheran Confessions. When people are received into membership into a Lutheran congregation through confirmation they are asked if they confess the doctrine of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, as they have learned to know it from the Small Catechism, to be faithful and true.
These solemn promises indicate to us just how important the Lutheran Confessions are for our church. Let’s take a look at the various items contained in the Book of Concord and then we will talk about why the Lutheran Confessions are so important for being a Lutheran.
What are the Ecumenical Creeds?
The three ecumenical creeds in the Book of Concord are the Apostles’ Creed, the Nicene Creed and the Athanasian Creed. They are described as “ecumenical” [universal] because they are accepted by Christians worldwide as correct expressions of what God’s Word teaches.
What is the Augsburg Confession and Apology of the Augsburg Confession?
In the year 1530, the Lutherans were required to present their confession of faith before the emperor in Augsburg, Germany. Philip Melanchthon wrote the Augsburg Confession and it was read before the imperial court on June 30, 1530. One year later, the Lutherans presented their defense of the Augsburg Confession, which is what “apology” here means. It too was written by Philip Melanchthon. The largest document in the Book of Concord, its longest chapter, is devoted to the most important truth of the Christian faith: the doctrine of justification by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.
What are the Small and Large Catechisms?
Martin Luther realized early on how desperately ignorant the laity and clergy of his day were when it came to even the most basic truths of the Christian faith. Around 1530, he produced two small handbooks to help pastors and the heads of families teach the faith.
The Small Catechism and the Large Catechism are organized around six topics: the Ten Commandments, the Apostles’ Creed, the Lord’s Prayer, Holy Baptism, Confession, and the Sacrament of the Altar. So universally accepted were these magnificent doctrinal summaries by Luther, that they were included as part of the Book of Concord.
What are the Smalcald Articles and the Treatise on the Power and Primacy of the Pope?
In 1537, Martin Luther was asked to prepare a statement of Lutheran belief for use at a church council, if it was called. Luther’s bold and vigorous confession of faith was later incorporated into the Book of Concord. It was presented to a group of Lutheran rulers meeting in the town of Smalcald. Philip Melanchthon was asked to expand on the subject of the Roman pope and did so in his treatise, which also was included in the Book of Concord.
What is the Formula of Concord?
After Luther’s death in 1546, significant controversies broke out in the Lutheran Church. After much debate and struggle, the Formula of Concord in 1577 put an end to these doctrinal controversies and the Lutheran Church was able to move ahead united in what it believed, taught and confessed. In 1580, all the confessional writings mentioned here were gathered into a single volume, the Book of Concord. Concord is a word that means, “harmony.” The Formula of Concord was summarized in a version known as the “Epitome” of the Formula of Concord. This document too is included in the Book of Concord.
What is the connection between the Bible and the Confessions?
We confess that, “The Word of God is and should remain the sole rule and norm of all doctrine” (FC SD, Rule and Norm, 9). What the Bible asserts, God asserts. What the Bible commands, God commands. The authority of the Scriptures is complete, certain and final. The Scriptures are accepted by the Lutheran Confessions as the actual Word of God. The Lutheran Confessions urge us to believe the Scriptures for “they will not lie to you” (LC, V, 76) and cannot be “false and deceitful” (FC SD, VII, 96). The Bible is God’s “pure, infallible, and unalterable Word” (Preface to the BOC).
The Lutheran Confessions are the “basis, rule, and norm indicating how all doctrines should be judged in conformity with the Word of God” (FC SD RN). Because the Confessions are in complete doctrinal agreement with the written Word of God, they serve as the standard in the Lutheran Church to determine what is faithful Biblical teaching, insofar as that teaching is addressed in the Confessions.
Now may:
The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and show grace to you.
The Lord look on you and give you peace.
Be safe, keep each other in prayer and, God willing, we will all see each other next Sunday!
Pastor Ken
Scripture Readings for Sunday, April 6, 2025 (ASL Format)
The Old Testament lesson is from Isaiah chapter 43.
The Lord says this. He made a way through the sea, and He made a path through the mighty waters. He led the chariots and horses, the army and the soldiers together. All of them died and never stood alive again. They were the same-as a candle blown-out.
The Lord says, “Forget the things that happened in the past. Don’t continue thinking about long-ago. Look! I am doing a new thing, beginning now! Do you see it? I will make a way in the wilderness. In the desert, I will make rivers. Wild animals honor Me. Wild dogs and ostriches honor Me because I give water in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. I give water to My people, the people I chose. I made these people for Myself, then they praise Me.”
This is the word of the Lord.
C: (copy) Thanks give to God.
There are two choices for the New Testament reading, a shorter reading from Philippians 3 or a longer reading from Philippians 3. Choose one.
The shorter reading.
The New Testament lesson is from Philippians chapter 3.
I think of everything here as lost. Why? For me to know Christ Jesus my Lord is more important and much better. Because of Jesus, I think of everything here as lost. I think everything in this life is the same-as worthless trash. Why? Then I can have Christ Jesus and belong to Him. I obey God’s law and make myself righteous? No! My righteousness is through faith in Christ. Through faith, God gives me His righteousness. I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection. I want to experience His sufferings and become the same-as Him in His death. Then I can rise alive from the dead.
I don’t mean I already have these things. I am not-yet perfect. Christ already decided to make me belong to Him. Now I continue running so I can keep His gifts. Dear Christians, I know I am not-yet finished. I do one thing: I forget the past and run straight ahead. I run hard toward the goal in heaven, because God called me to heaven through Jesus Christ.
This is the word of the Lord.
C: (copy) Thanks give to God.
The longer reading.
The New Testament lesson is from Philippians chapter 3.
I have reasons to trust myself. If anyone else thinks they can trust themselves, I have more reasons. I got circumcised when I was eight days old. I belong to the people of Israel. I am from the Jewish family named BENJAMIN. I am a good Hebrew. I was a PHARISEE who followed the law. I persecuted the church. No one could accuse me of breaking any law. But no-matter those things helped me, I now think of them as all worthless because of Jesus.
I think of everything here as lost. Why? For me to know Christ Jesus my Lord is more important and much better. Because of Jesus, I think of everything here as lost. I think everything in this life is the same-as worthless trash. Why? Then I can have Christ Jesus and belong to Him. I obey God’s law and make myself righteous? No! My righteousness is through faith in Christ. Through faith,
God gives me His righteousness. I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection. I want to experience His sufferings and become the same-as Him in His death. Then I can rise alive from the dead.
I don’t mean I already have these things. I am not-yet perfect. Christ already decided to make me belong to Him. Now I continue running so I can keep His gifts. Dear Christians, I know I am not-yet finished. I do one thing: I forget the past and run straight ahead. I run hard toward the goal in heaven, because God called me to heaven through Jesus Christ.
This is the word of the Lord.
C: (copy) Thanks give to God.
The Gospel lesson is from Luke chapter 20.
C: (copy) Glory to You, O Lord.
Jesus told the people this story. “A man planted a VINEYARD. He rented the VINEYARD to some farmers, and he went to another country for a long time.
At harvest time, he sent a servant to the farmers. The farmers needed to give him some of the fruit as rent payment. But the farmers beat the servant and sent him away with nothing. The owner sent another servant. The farmers beat and abused that servant and sent him away with nothing. The owner sent a third servant. The farmers hurt him and threw him out.
Then the owner said, ‘What should I do? I will send my son. I love him. Maybe they will respect my son.’
But when the farmers saw the son, they said, ‘He is the HEIR. Let’s kill him. Then we will get the inheritance.’
So the farmers threw the son out of the VINEYARD and killed him.
Now what will the owner do to the farmers?
He will come and kill them and give the VINEYARD to other people.”
When the people heard this story, they said, “No! That must never happen!”
Jesus looked at the people and said, “Then what does this mean when the Bible says, ‘The stone the builders rejected now became the cornerstone?’ A person who falls on that stone, the person will get broken. But if that stone falls on someone, the stone will crush him.”
The law teachers and priests now looked for a way to arrest Jesus, because they knew Jesus spoke the story against them. But they were afraid of the people. So they sent SPIES to watch Jesus. They pretended to be honest. They wanted to catch Jesus saying something wrong. Then they could arrest Jesus and give Him to the Roman governor.
This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C: (copy) Praise to You, O Christ
Holy Communion Procedures Post-COVID
Holy Communion
Words of Institution
The "Individual Cups"
The Chalice and Paten will always be present on the Altar during Holy Communion as a visual reminder of the corporate nature of Holy Communion.
The "Individual Cups"
Words of Institution
The "Individual Cups"
We will be using two individual cups with lids, in place of the Chalice and Paten to Celebrate Communion.
Words of Institution
Words of Institution
Words of Institution
After the Words of Institution are spoken, the individual cups with Host and Wine will be brought to the congregation on the tray.
Distribution
The "Hand-off"
Words of Institution
Individual cups will be distributed by the Elder/President of Cross of Christ, and brought to you in your pew. Please do not leave your pew.
The "Tray"
The "Hand-off"
The "Hand-off"
The tray will contain the Individual Servings for those partaking of Communion.
The "Hand-off"
The "Hand-off"
The "Hand-off"
The Individual cups will be "handed" to the individual. Please do not reach into the tray.
COVID Procedures for Cross of Christ
General Procedures for attending Church at Cross of Christ Stage 3
AHS COVID Policy for Places of Worship
Alberta entered Step 2 on March 1.
The following changes came into effect at that time. Any remaining school requirements removed (for example: Kindergarten to grade 6 co-horting). Youth screening activities for entertainment and sport activities removed. Capacity on all large venues and entertainment venues lifted. Restrictions lifted on interactive activities, table limits, liquor sales and closing times for bars, restaurants and other food serving businesses. Indoor and outdoor social gathering limits lifted, including for all wedding and funeral events. Mandatory work-from-home requirements lifted. Provincial mask mandate lifted except: on municipal and intra-provincial public transit for Albertans 13 and older at AHS-operated and contracted facilities, and all continuing care settings.
Mandatory restriction - Effective March 1
The provincial mask mandate has been lifted for most settings, except:
- on municipal and intra-provincial public transit for Albertans 13 and older
- at all AHS operated and contracted facilities
- at all continuing care settings
- continuous masking must be followed for up to 5 days following mandatory isolation due to COVID infection for vaccinated individuals. For more information, see the isolation page.
- If a person chooses to wear one, masks should fit well and be of high quality. People at risk of severe outcomes should wear medical masks when in settings with people outside of their household.
Public health measures in effect | Alberta.ca
Reviewed Jan 2025