Christ Memorial was a church plant of Salem Lutheran in Affton in 1948. Our history is God “sowing seeds” and “bearing fruit.” What will he grow in the next 75 years? Martin Luther once said, “Even if I knew the world would end tomorrow, I would still plant my apple tree today.” We continue to plant seeds for coming generations of gospel multiplication. More people loved in Christ, more people sent into the world.
Invocation
Make the sign of the cross, and say,
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Invitation Prayer
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.” (Matt. 5:9) O Lord, you are the God who makes peace from turmoil. As your child, send me to be a peacemaker. Amen.
Meditation
Go to the Limits of Your Longing
by Ranier Maria Rilke, translated by Joanna Macy
God speaks to each of us as he makes us,
then walks with us silently out of the night.
These are the words we dimly hear:
You, sent out beyond your recall,
go to the limits of your longing.
Embody me.
Flare up like a flame
and make big shadows I can move in.
Let everything happen to you: beauty and terror.
Just keep going. No feeling is final.
Don’t let yourself lose me.
Nearby is the country they call life.
You will know it by its seriousness.
Give me your hand.
Prayer for the Church
· For my local congregation, my brothers and sisters in Christ.
· For Christians across my community and city.
· For my denomination or church body.
· For repentance where God’s people have failed or erred.
· For the mission of God given to his people, that all nations know Him.
· For the church where she is persecuted for Christ’s name.
· For church plants and mission frontiers.
· For workers in the harvest: pastors, teachers, evangelists, servants.
· For the everyday, ordinary Christian to serve and witness as the priesthood of all believers.
· For the small, overlooked, and undervalued parts of the body of Christ.
Closing Prayer
My merciful God, you are holy and righteous. I repent of all my sins. I turn to you. Forgive and heal me. Prepare my heart to enter your courts with thanksgiving and praise. There is no King like you. Praise be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. Amen.