May 6, 2010 Grace Lutheran Church
6931 Edinger Ave., Huntington Beach, CA 92647
(714) 899-1700 contactus@GraceHB.org
WORSHIP THIS WEEKEND: Worship - Sunday 8:30 am, 10:30 am; Wednesday 11 am
Children's Sunday School - 8:30 am & 10:30 am
Middle School [6th-8th Grade] - Sunday 10:30 am
High School [9th-12th Grade] - Sunday 5:30 pm
Confirmation Class [6th-12th] - Sunday 12:30 pm
Adult Bible Study Classes - Sunday 10:15 am
LIVING THE RESURRECTION THROUGH THE STORY OF JONAH:
"The word
of the Lord came to Jonah a second time."
Have you ever been blessed with a “do-over”—a
second chance at something? You blew the assignment. You missed the
call. You looked the other way. Heck, maybe like Jonah,
you rebelled and tried to run the other way…
The consequences of your revolt impacted
others. Your rain fell on their parade. Your storm blew into their
harbor. Their ship nearly sank under the weight of your mistake.
And you—you died. You drowned in the shame. You were swallowed by the
very chaos you created. Game over. You’re out. Finished. Done.
Jonah knows how you feel. God drowned Jonah in the water.
There he rested—but not in peace—in the belly of a great fish. He died
with the hope of resurrection. Despite his disobedience
and thanks to the power of grace, he got a “do over.”
Jonah’s story started with "the Word of the Lord came to
Jonah..." Vomited out of the gut of the fish, as he came out of the
water with a new lease on life, God hit rewind on
the story and started at the very beginning again: "The Word of the
Lord came to Jonah a second time..." Jonah got a fresh start. Jonah got a
second chance.
The LORD does much the same for us. The notion that we
worship a God of second chances is nothing new. We profess this truth
every time we celebrate the sacrament of baptism.
In the waters of baptism, our rebellious, selfish, old self is drowned,
and our new, resurrected life in Jesus Christ begins. Bringing us up
out of the water, God gives us a second chance. As the old hymn goes,
“This is our story, this is our song…”
I invite you to join us this Sunday as we both celebrate and
reflect on the God of second chances. Through the story of Jonah, let us
ask ourselves why the LORD works in this
way—why he gives us a second chance, why he offers us a fresh start.
As Sunday draws nearer, I encourage you to remember some of the second
chances that you have been given. Together may we discover that like
Jonah, we are rescued for a purpose and with a
mission. May we embrace the deeper implications of God’s “do
overs”—that God’s second chances are not just for our own benefit.
Grace wants to help you figure out where the messages heard on Sunday intersect with your life. This is why Pastor Joe has provided questions for you to Talk It Over...when you're grabbing lunch after worship, relaxing with friends at a coffee shop, at the dinner table with your family, or in your Life Group.
The National Day of Prayer's mission is to communicate with every individual the need for
personal repentance and prayer, mobilizing the Christian community to
intercede for America and its leadership in the seven centers of power:
Government, Military, Media, Business, Education, Church and Family.
We are collecting non-perishable goods in the Grace shopping cart at the
entrance to the Sanctuary throughout the month of May. CLICK HERE for list of suggested items.
Thank you for bringing some food this weekend as a
sacrificial act of worship. Please place donations in the shopping cart in the sanctuary lobby.
"For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat." ~ Matthew 25:35
Thank You For Your Generosity
We wish to thank those of you who participated in the iSanctuary fundraiser to raise awareness towards human trafficking. Among the various churches present they raised over $20,000. God is making a difference rescuing lives and we are honored to play a small part.
We also wish to thank those of you who purchased the iSanctuary jewelry on the Grace patio this past Sunday. We raised over $800 for the cause. There will be a table of jewelry at the Women of Grace Spring Tea this Saturday for any last minute Mother's Day gifts needed.
The Fullerton Site Blessing/Framing Day has been moved up to May 8. We are excited to get this build started. If you are interested in attending only the short site dedication blessing at 9am or staying to begin work on the build that day (up to 10 volunteers spots available), please contact Catherine Schneider [714-840-7510 or catherine.schneider@thrivent.com]
You can enjoy France by vicariously traveling to destinations on two of the major rivers, the Seine and the Rhone. Among several places of interest you will see are Paris, Giverny, Normandy, Lyon, Avignon and Arles, through the cameras of Paul and June Welton. Refreshments served. This is our last meeting before summer break.
Grace has had two open meetings with the congregation to talk about the vote at the churchwide assembly in August 2009 - in regards to the human sexuality social statement. At one of the meetings, it was requested that our bishop come speak to Grace about what is going on in the ELCA. To honor that request and to give time to hear the ELCA point of view, we have invited Bishop Murray Finck to come speak to our congregation.
This meeting will be a time for Bishop Finck to explain the statement, the vote, the implications for our congregation as well as all other ELCA congregations. There will be time for him to answer questions from our congregation. If any Grace members has questions for the bishop, please put them in writing and give them to Pastor Chris prior to the 18th. We want to give our bishop every opportunity to fully address our questions but he has to know what they are in order to answer them. Our open and honest dialogue with the bishop will help in this process of information gathering and discussion as Grace comes to a decision on our next steps with the ELCA.
ELCA HUMAN SEXUALITY SOCIAL
STATEMENT RESOLUTION
Grace's Sermon Response to ELCA
[October 4, 2009] audio
- video
Pastor Chris Tweitmann's ELCA
UPDATE [October 1, 2009]
Our Confirmation Class will be publicly confirmed as part of our 10:30am worship service on this day. Please come show your support and hospitality to them and their families.
Questions about Confirmation? Contact Jon Alexanian [714-899-1725 or jalexanian@gracehb.org]
BASICS - New Member Info Class
Wednesday, May 26, 7:30pm, Grace Library
Don't just remain a face in the crowd! Move deeper into the fundamentals of walking with Christ while learning about the values and priorities of Grace. Topics include "Living a Life of Worship" and "Finding Authentic Community," "Growing in Christ: Becoming a Life-long Learner," and "Reaching Out to Others." Childcare is available.
This summer, bring your kids and their friends to SonQuest Rainforest -
an experience of discovery they will never forget! Based on five key
Bible verses that will change a child's life - including John 3:16 -
SonQuest Rainforest transports young minds into a rainforest environment
where they will explore and encounter Jesus in everyday life.
Registration will begin in the middle of May.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!
We need volunteer
servants to help in a variety of positions including teachers, classroom
helpers, crafts, food, set construction/design and registration.
SIGN-UP TO VOLUNTEER by visiting the
Children's Ministry table on the Patio this Sunday or
contact Beth Tweitmann [714-899-1730 or btweitmann@gracehb.org].
It's quick. It's easy. And it can make a big difference. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans is inviting their members to help choose how they distribute $1 million to ten different charities around the country. If more than 350,000 members vote (15% of membership), they will double the contribution. What are you waiting for? Visit the link below and vote.
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Grace Lutheran Church
6931 Edinger Ave
Huntington Beach, California 92647
Today, May 6, All Day
We are collecting non-perishable goods in the Grace shopping cart at the
entrance to the Sanctuary throughout the month of May. 
We wish to thank those of you who participated in the iSanctuary fundraiser to raise awareness towards human trafficking. Among the various churches present they 
THIS SATURDAY, May 8, 2010, 9:00am
This summer, bring your kids and their friends to SonQuest Rainforest -
an experience of discovery they will never forget! Based on five key
Bible verses that will change a child's life - including John 3:16 -
SonQuest Rainforest transports young minds into a rainforest environment
where they will explore and encounter Jesus in everyday life.
It's quick. It's easy. And it can make a big difference. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans is inviting their members to help choose how they distribute $1 million to ten different charities around the country. If more than 350,000 members vote (15% of membership), they will double the contribution. What are you waiting for? Visit the link below and vote.