11460 60 Ave NW, Edmonton, AB. T6H 1J5 Canada. 780-434-1671
Next Service April 28, 2024 Morning Worship @ 10:30
Holy Communion 3rd Sundays of the month
Next Church Service: April 28 2024, 10:30 Morning Worship
Martin Luther's Morning Prayer
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 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.
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 OF EASTER
(28 April 2024)
Acts 8:26–40
1 John 4:1–11 (12–21)
John 15:1–8
Jesus Christ Is the True Vine Who Bears Much Fruit in Us
“God is love,” and He has manifested Himself to us by sending “his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him” (1 John 4:9, 16). By the ministry of the Gospel, “he has given us of his Spirit,” so that we also believe and confess “that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh.” In this way, we “abide in him and he in us,” and we “love one another” (1 John 4:2, 7, 13). Such divine love is exemplified in Philip’s preaching of “the good news about Jesus” to the Ethiopian eunuch. And when “they came to some water,” the eunuch was baptized into the very Gospel that Philip had preached (Acts 8:35–38). That Ethiopian was thereby grafted into “the true vine,” Jesus Christ (John 15:1), just as we are. Already we are clean because of the Word that Christ has spoken to us and by the washing of water with His Word. We now abide in Him by faith in His forgiveness. As He abides in us, both body and soul, with His own body and His blood, He “bears much fruit” in us (John 15:3–5). LCMS Summaries
Introit (Psalm 145)
P: Jesus said, a little while and you will not see Me.
C: Then a little while and you will see Me again.
P: My God and King, I will praise You.
C: I will bless Your name forever.
P: Every day I will bless You
C: And praise Your name forever.
P: The Lord is full of grace and mercy.
C: He is slow to become angry. He is rich in love.
P: Lord, everything You made will thank You.
C: Your holy people will bless You.
P: I will announce praise for the Lord.
C: Let every living thing bless His holy name forever.
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: O God, through Christ Jesus, You make our hearts and minds all agree. Please help us love Your commands and want Your promises. Then no-matter how much this world changes, our hearts are always with You. You are our true joy. 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: Sunday, April 28, 2024 (ASL Format)
The First Lesson is from Acts chapter 8.
An angel of the Lord spoke to PHILIP. The angel said, “Stand-up and go south on the road from JERUSALEM to GAZA.” That is a road through the desert.
PHILIP stood-up and went. On the road he saw a man from the country ETHIOPIA and he was an important officer for the queen CANDACE. He was the treasurer. He went to JERUSALEM to worship. Now he was-going home sitting in his chariot and reading from the Bible book named ISAIAH, the prophet.
The Holy Spirit told PHILIP, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.”
PHILIP ran to the chariot. He heard the man reading the book of ISAIAH. PHILIP asked, “Do you understand your reading?”
The man said, “I can’t understand. I need someone to explain that to me!” Then he invited PHILIP to come and sit with him.
This is the verse from ISAIAH he read: “Same-as people lead a sheep to die, they led Him to die. And same-as a lamb is silent in-front-of the person cutting WOOL; the same He continued quiet. People made Him suffer and didn’t judge Him fairly. His life on earth ended. He has no children to continue His family.”
The man said to PHILIP, “Please, tell me, the prophet talks about who? Himself or someone else?”
PHILIP used this verse from ISAIAH to begin telling him the good news about Jesus.
While they traveled on the road, they passed some water. The man said, “Look! Here is water! Why not baptize me?” Then the man commanded the chariot to stop, and both he and PHILIP went into the water, and PHILIP baptized him. When they came out-of the water, the Holy Spirit took-away PHILIP, and the officer never saw him again. The officer went home very happy.
Then PHILIP appeared in the city AZOTUS on the road to the city CAESAREA. He preached the good news of Jesus in all the towns on that road.
This is the word of the Lord.
C: (copy) Thanks give to God.
You have two choices for the second lesson; a short reading from 1 John 4 and a longer reading from 1 John 4. Choose one.
Shorter reading.
The Second Lesson is from 1 John chapter 4.
Dear friends, don’t believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see if they are from God. Many false prophets are in the world. This is how you can know God’s Spirit: every spirit that says Jesus came in true human flesh, that spirit is from God. And any spirit not speaking the truth about Jesus, that spirit is not from God. That spirit is against Christ and you heard that wicked spirit is coming into the world. I tell you he is here now.
Children, you are from God, and you have victory defeating those spirits, because God is with you and God is stronger than the world. These false teachers are from the world. They speak what the world thinks, and the people in the world listen to them.
We are from God. Anyone that knows God listens to us. Anyone not from God will not listen to us. That is how we know which-one is the spirit of truth and which-one is the spirit of false teaching.
Dear friends, let us love one-another because love comes from God, and everyone showing love is born from God and knows God. Anyone not showing love doesn’t-yet know God, because God is love.
This is how God put His love in us. God sent His only Son into the world for us to live through Him. This is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to pay for our sins. Dear friends, if God loves us this way, then we should love one-another.
This is the word of the Lord.
C: (copy) Thanks give to God.
Longer reading.
The Second Lesson is from 1 John chapter 4.
Dear friends, don’t believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see if they are from God. Many false prophets are in the world. This is how you can know God’s Spirit: every spirit that says Jesus came in true human flesh, that spirit is from God. And any spirit not speaking the truth about Jesus, that spirit is not from God. That spirit is against Christ and you heard that wicked spirit is coming into the world. I tell you he is here now.
Children, you are from God, and you have victory defeating those spirits, because God is with you and God is stronger than the world. These false teachers are from the world. They speak what the world thinks, and the people in the world listen to them.
We are from God. Anyone that knows God listens to us. Anyone not from God will not listen to us. That is how we know which-one is the spirit of truth and which-one is the spirit of false teaching.
Dear friends, let us love one-another because love comes from God, and everyone showing love is born from God and knows God. Anyone not showing love doesn’t-yet know God, because God is love.
This is how God put His love in us. God sent His only Son into the world for us to live through Him. This is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to pay for our sins. Dear friends, if God loves us this way, then we should love one-another. No person has seen God. If we love one-another, then God lives in us and His love is perfect in us.
This is how we know we live in God and He lives in us, because He gave us His Spirit. We saw and announce that the Father sent His Son as the Savior for the
world. Anyone that says Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in that person, and that person lives in God.
God loves us, and we know and believe that. God is love. The person living in love also lives in God, and God lives in him. That makes love perfect in us. Then we will be brave on judgment day, because we are the same-as God in this world. People fear punishment. The person who fears, that person is not perfect in love.
We love because God first loved us. If someone says, “I love God,” but he hates another Christian, that person is a liar. If he sees another Christian and doesn’t love him, then he will not love God, who he doesn’t see. God gave us this commandment. Anyone that loves God, he must also love other Christians.
This is the word of the Lord.
C: (copy) Thanks give to God.
The Gospel lesson is from John chapter 15.
C: (copy) Glory to You, O Lord.
Jesus said, “I am the true VINE. My Father is the farmer. If one of My branches grows no fruit, My Father cuts-off that branch. Every branch growing fruit, My Father prunes (cuts) to make the branch grow more fruit. You are already clean because I spoke My word for you. Stay joined to Me, and I will stay joined to you. A branch can’t grow fruit by itself. The branch must continue joined to the vine. The same, you can’t grow fruit without Me.
I am the VINE. You are the branches. If a person stays with Me and I stay with him, he will grow much fruit. Without Me, you can’t do anything. Suppose someone doesn’t stay with Me. That person is same-as a dry and dead branch. The farmer gathers together those dead branches and throws them in the fire. Suppose you stay with Me and My word stays in you. Then you can ask anything you want, and God will give it to you. Because that gives glory to My Father when you grow much fruit and show that you are My disciples.”
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 2023