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 those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” (Matt. 5:4) O Lord, I suffer grief and loss. You alone are my comfort. Amen.
Word:
John 12:24
“Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.”
Meditation
The Ending is the Best Part by Koleen Barnes
I have been in banking for about 10 years now. Eight of those have been spent in mortgage in one way or another. Yes, I am that annoying person who called you every week when you were buying your house demanding every piece of documentation you’ve ever seen, plus the blood type of your first born child. I love it. The lists, the flow, the crazy situations we come across thrill my boring business-degree brain, but the coolest part is that I get to work with veterans and active duty service members each day.
My company focuses on this subset of mortgages that honestly get a bit left behind in the finance world. Though I ask a lot of our veterans, the end result is the coolest—a new house! To date I have helped about 750 veterans and their families into their homes and making that phone call is the best part of my job!
When was the last time you watched It’s A Wonderful Life? (stick with me, I promise I have a point). If it has been a while, let me refresh your memory. The plot follows George Bailey, who just wants to leave his town and see the world. But through a series of events he stays and runs the savings and loan that his father used to run. This movie hit home for me in a lot of ways, as it does most people who watch it. I keep two quotes from it in my home and work offices.
The first is the same quote George Bailey’s dad keeps in his office at the savings and loan. It reads “All you can take with you is that which you’ve given away.” The second is written on a notecard next to my computer monitor at the office. It says “Mr. Potter, that this rabble you’re talking about, they do most of the working and paying and living and dying in this community. Well, is it too much to have them work and pay and live and die in a couple of decent rooms and a bath?”
I guess what I am trying to get at is that this week we are celebrating the end of our mortgage as a church. Honestly, I don’t know that I have ever seen the end of one, though I have been at the beginning of so many. In my day-to-day life that “rabble” Mr. Potter is so keen on taking advantage of is service members, and I like to keep my focus on what they deserve for their sacrifice, but our congregation has made sacrifices too. We all know that we can’t take it with us, and it is really neat to be at the juncture of that generosity coming to fruition through the elimination of our mortgage.
Dear God, I pray that you help us to see this accomplishment of our church as a reflection of your generosity. I ask that you allow us to reproduce your good will and have spirits more like Mr. Bailey than Mr. Potter. Amen
Prayer for Life as a Child of God
· For the Father to give me care and guidance.
· For forgiveness when I wander and want my own way.
· For the Father to keep me childlike in faith even as I age.
· For growth in faith, that I love and trust in God above all things.
· For strength to obey God.
· For the Father to heal my hurts.
· For assurance when I doubt.
Closing Prayer
O Lord, your ways are not our ways. Teach us your will, even when it appears backwards. We want to know you. We want what you want. Thy will be done, in Jesus’ name. Amen.