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.
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 pure in heart, for they shall see God.” (Matt. 5:8) O Lord, you see all things. Purify my heart that I may see you clearly. Amen.
Word: Acts 1:8
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Meditation
Sent by Anna Jacob
For over a decade now, Reliant and Christ Memorial have used two words, Loved and Sent, to help communicate the mission of our church. I enjoy having these words as our church’s focus, knowing we are loved by God and have been sent into the world for a purpose. These are two words that I continue to think about on a daily basis. The loved part has always been fairly easy for me to see in my life. But I have struggled more with feeling sent.
When I was younger, even though I did not grow up in Saint Louis, I never expected to end up in the Midwest as an adult. My grand plans for my life involved living on the coast, up in Alaska, or even all the way over in New Zealand. There was a small part of me that felt that the further from home I went, the greater my purpose would be in life. And while I have managed to visit almost all of those places, I have yet to be sent to live there.
Adjusting to the idea of God’s place for me, and where he has sent me has taken time. It was not an easy pathway to follow. I made mistakes. I struggled with decisions. Life has certainly had its frustrations. But through it all God continues to love me and now I can look back and better see the purpose that he has for me here in Saint Louis.
Most of my 20s I spent trying to control my life and where I wanted to be. This was where most of my frustrations came from. I believed I had more control over where I was to be sent rather than leaning into my faith and trust in God. I am still learning what other places I may be sent to within Saint Louis or whom else he may be sending me to.
However, unlike my 20 year old self, I continue to work on being more open to new opportunities. I have since then adopted the phrase, ‘never say never.’ Rather than fighting and working against God’s will, I spend more time in prayer, more time in conversation with the people he has put in my life, and I have set aside feeling like I have ultimate control. There is a peace and a comfort I have which comes from knowing that even when faced with life‘s frustrations, I am not facing them alone. God continues to love me. He has sent me. My life has purpose. And because of that, I can celebrate the fruits of my labor.
Dear Lord, I thank you for loving me enough that you would send your son to save me. You give my life purpose. Help me to rely on your guidance when I am frustrated or feel out of control. In your name I pray, Amen.
Prayer for the World
· For my city, state, and country.
· For leaders: mayor, governor, president, congress.
· For those who serve the public: police officers, firefighters, teachers, first responders, medical personnel.
· For the nations of the world, for world leaders.
· For good government, good schools, good business.
· For justice, especially for the oppressed: minorities, immigrants and refugees, orphans, widows, the very young or unborn, the aged.
· For creation: for the care of land, air, wildlife, and sea.
Closing Prayer
King Jesus, your Kingdom comes by a cross. Help us to see your hidden work. Forgive our blindness to your activity. Have mercy on us. Renew us and lead us to walk in your ways until our life’s end. Amen.