A PERSONAL PRAYER
I love you, God. So thank you today for people to love, as I act out my love for you. Thank you today for people who love me. Thank you for a place to belong, a community where I am welcomed, pursued, valued. Thank you for showing up in our midst, the Holy Spirit binding us together.
I confess, God, that sometimes I get confused about what matters. I find myself focusing on tasks to be done, milestones to be reached, instead of the people who join me in the work. Too often, I look at people as tools to accomplish an agenda, build a program, grow a ministry, rather than understanding that the people are the ministry itself. When Jesus saw the multitudes who came to him, he "had compassion on them." Loving them in concrete ways was the mission. One at a time, he loved them. Caring for them each as his sister or brother.
So God, I pray that I will see your face on the people you have put in my path today, and that I might love you by loving them.
In the name of Jesus, who was a person himself, and who showed us what love looks like. Amen.
SOME THOUGHTS TO SHARE
This Sunday, we conclude our series on Starting with Middle C. We have talked about convictions - having something to believe in, the rock in which to anchor your life, and about commitment - having something to anchor your life to, or for. This Sunday we will deal with the third essential C - community - having some people to love. Come and worship!
Scripture + Shared is here! I have been studying the letters of James and 1 and 2 Peter this summer, and am anxious to teach it to you in our eight session study this fall. Groups will begin meeting this coming week, beginning September 23, and I will begin a sermon series on September 30 covering the letter of James. There are daily Bible readings, commentary and explanation, and reflection and discussion questions on the Scripture + Shared app and St. Luke's website. The video curriculum (also on the app and website) includes conversational lessons in which I visit with other St. Luke's pastors and staff about the letters. Find a group and learn how to download the app at stlukesmethodist.org/bible.
At St. Luke's, we pray! Join us this Sunday night, September 23, 4:00 p.m., for Fall Prayer Harvest Service in the Fellowship Hall. The whole church family is coming together for a special time of prayer as we harvest the leaves from the prayer tree and begin anew as we turn our hearts back toward God. I will share a brief devotional on prayer, and we will practice it together.
When Hurricane Harvey hit, staff and members from Broadmoor UMC in Baton Rouge and many others went above and beyond to help us and our city. We are eager to pay their generosity forward as persons impacted from Hurricane Florence struggle to recover. St. Luke's is partnering with Myers Park UMC in Charlotte, NC to support this effort. Please visit www.myersparkumc.org/disasterrelief if you'd like to contribute and don't forget to pray for those in the affected area.
PRAYER CALENDAR
Sunday, September 23
Heavenly Father, we look back over the past year with gratitude for all that has happened in the life of our church. Thank you for the ministries, people, and moments where we saw your Spirit move among us. As we look forward to the future we pray for your guidance to follow in the path that you have for us, both as your church and as individuals. May we have a front row seat to the work of your Holy Spirit in 2019. Amen. -Prayer by Rev. Thomas Harper
Monday, September 24
God, thank you for the gift of this new day. Fill it with opportunities to serve you and share your love with others. Show us how to be a blessing to those who need it most. Amen.
Tuesday, September 25
Lord help us to focus on what is beautiful and not what is ugly in our lives. Help us to see other people as you do and give us more capacity and patience to love others better than we do now, Amen.
Wednesday, September 26
God of love, thank you for redeeming us through the gift of your son, Jesus. Thank you for restoring us and making us whole again. Help us to focus on our new life in Christ. Amen.
Thursday, September 27
Loving God, sometimes things in life are hard, and I need some encouragement. I pray that you would bless me and encourage me today as I persevere. Give me what I need to run the race you have set before me. Amen.
Friday, September 28
God, I know that true freedom is found in your truth and not in the lies of the world. Help me to live by your standards and not those of the world. Hold me in the palm of your hand, and keep me close in relationship to you all the days of my life. Amen.
Saturday, September 29
Thank you, God, for the community of faith here at St. Luke's. Thank you for the clergy who guide us on our journey of faith, thank you for the staff who support our journey of faith, and thank you for church friends who walk beside us on our journey of faith. Amen.
People
September 21, 2018 • Dr. Tom Pace
Don't miss today
November 2, 2018 • Dr. Tom Pace
A PERSONAL PRAYER God of love, I have been thinking that today might be my last day on earth. Who knows what today, or tomorrow, or the next day will bring? I might have 10,000 days left in my life, and I might have just this one. I don’t want to throw today away or miss the experience of this hour or even this minute. And yet, I am always hurrying on to the next thing, always running from one thing to the next, living in tomorrow, regretting what I missed or did yesterday, reminiscing about the good old days, dreaming about the future, and griping about what is going on around me today. How sad to miss so much. You have prepared for me a table of experiences at which to feast, and you are willing to sit with me at that table, to join me in each of the experiences of my life. You want to laugh with me and cry with me and work beside me. Sometimes, I don’t even recognize that you are there. I find myself searching for you in my yesterdays and hoping for you in my tomorrows, all the while missing your presence in the here and now. I can’t be contented with yesterday’s glory. I can’t live on promises winter to spring. Today is my moment, and now is my story, I’ll laugh and I’ll cry and I’ll sing…. Today while the blossoms still cling to the vine, I’ll taste your strawberries, I’ll drink your sweet wine. A million tomorrows shall all pass away, ‘ere I forget all the joy that is mine, today. (Randy Sparks, New Christy Minstrels, 1963) Thank you God, for today. And open my eyes and ears and heart to your presence in this very moment. In the name of Christ, I pray… Amen. SOME THOUGHTS TO SHARE Thanks to all of you who last week made a commitment or recommitment of your life to Christ, and to his ministries in and through St. Luke’s. It was a wonderful worship experience for me personally, and I personally felt God’s challenge renewed in my life, hearing his call again to live my life and use my time and resources for his ministry. We currently have received 653 commitments toward our goal of 1320 for 2019. We are halfway there! If you are a member of St. Luke’s and have not had a chance to make your commitment, you can view some important information and make a commitment online here. We use all of the information to make decisions about ministries and projects we want to undertake, and we very much want this to be a time in which we are all working together to accomplish our goals. This Sunday, November 4, we begin a new sermon series titled “Stop It!” and talk together about slowing our lives down so that we can experience the presence of God. During the month of November, we will look at four habits that rob our lives of both meaning and joy and consider how we might replace them with something positive. We can stop running, avoiding, worrying, and grumbling, and replace those habits with experiencing, facing, trusting, and thanking. This Sunday is also All Saints Sunday, and at all of our morning worship services we will read the names of members of St. Luke’s who have gone on to be a part of the church triumphant over the past year, and give thanks to God for their witness among us. Please join us. We grieve the killings at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh last weekend. The loss of these wonderful people, the stories of whom are so touching and so human, wrench our hearts. And the loss is beyond that – the event further chips away at our own sense of security and the sanctity of our houses of worship. At St. Luke’s, we have a team continuing to improve and update our security plan, to help us all feel safe as we worship. Please be assured that we have four armed off-duty officers on campus every Sunday, and our staff has been trained in security response. Last January St. Luke’s sponsored active shooter response training for our congregation conducted by Stephen Daniel of the Houston Police Department. This training was extremely well received by our congregation, and it remains available on our website. We encourage every member to watch and share this link with loved ones, so we can all learn how to best respond if faced with such a situation. Watch the video and read the handout here. For information, contact Jack Vaughan or Dr. Linda Christians. PRAYER CALENDAR Sunday, November 4 Lord, thank you for the many blessings that you bestow in our everyday lives. Help us to see you in the minute details of each day and use our gratitude to shape how we see things. Fill us with a gracious heart so that we can then turn around and be a blessing to others. Amen. -Prayer by Rev. Thomas Harper Monday, November 5 God, we are very thankful for the St. Luke’s Day School and the teachers, parents, and staff as they work diligently to raise up our children in grace, faith, and love. Amen. -Prayer from Koinonia Tuesday, November 6 Heavenly Father, we are thankful for our church, its staff, and the ministers. We are also thankful that we live in a country where we can worship freely as we wish unlike many other Christians around the world. We pray for them also. Amen. -Prayer from Koinonia Wednesday, November 7 God, thank you for the students at St. Luke’s. Thank you for their energy, excitement, and desire to know you more. I pray that you guide them in their Faith Journey and continue to mold them into disciples as they grow. Amen. -Prayer by Colby Biberstein Thursday, November 8 Dear Father, Thank you that your plans for me are good. I am so glad that you are my Father and I am thankful that, because of this, I can always trust you to take care of me. Thank you that I do not have to struggle and worry about things that are beyond my control because you always have my back! Amen. Friday, November 9 We thank you, Lord, for the gift of family, friends, and for all those who love and support us through our ups and downs, who help us in our times of need, who celebrate with us in times of joy. Please bless them, Lord, as they have blessed us with their love. Amen. Saturday, November 10 Heavenly Father, Thank you so much for this beautiful time of year. Thank you for family and friendships and time together to celebrate all that we have. Bless all who come to St. Luke’s and help them to feel your love. Amen. -Prayer from Koinonia
Glorifying God in Generosity
October 28, 2018 • Elizabeth and Ross King
My grandfather had a tradition of giving a gold dollar to every young child he saw for almost twenty years. While this could be embarrassing when he would interrupt a dinner out to give coins to complete strangers, it was wonderful to see the joy he had in his heart every time he gave one away, especially to a child at church. Most Sundays, Granddad stood at the back of the church, collected the offering trays and counted the money. He would be overwhelmed when he would come across one of those gold dollars that a child had donated. His generous gift was returned with selfless giving to Christ and nothing could make him prouder. It was his example I wanted to follow with my own generosity. Ross and I both grew up attending church and giving weekly offerings based on the example set by our families. While our small gifts as children may have not made a large impact on the church, it created a habit that we continue now. We try to instill those values in our children from an early age so that they may understand the importance of a generous heart. We’ve been members of St. Luke’s since moving to Houston and have gotten involved with The Hub Sunday School class, multiple small groups, volunteering with Student Ministries and other service projects. Our two year old loves her Sunday School class, and we know our two week old will benefit from Children’s Ministries for years to come. Through these programs we’ve made many close friends and mentors and grown in our faith. These ministries mean so much to us, and we know they are only possible because of our church’s generosity. When we think of glorifying God in generosity, we aspire to use our gifts as a way to fulfill God’s mission on earth. It is amazing how our contributions, no matter how small, can become life-changing in God’s hands. From Sunday worship to service projects around Houston and the world, the incredible gifts from St Luke’s members are transforming lives.
It is amazing what commitment will do
October 26, 2018 • Dr. Tom Pace
A PERSONAL PRAYER Jesus, This Sunday, I will recommit my life to being your follower. I pray that you will show me the steps I need to take to follow you. You know my desire to live the way you taught us to live. You know my desire to be an instrument of your love. But too often, my desire remains just that – a desire only. I know what I am to do, but I don’t do it. Forgive me. Fill me with your Spirit that I might walk the walk, one step at a time. Show me what is the next best step for me; then give me the courage to commit to that step and take it. And then, O God, let me take another and another and another, persevering in faithfulness. When I fall short and fail, draw me gently back to that journey, knowing you will not abandon me no matter what. You promise me that I will be blessed if I will just give it a try. Amen. SOME THOUGHTS TO SHARE This Sunday is Commitment Sunday at St. Luke’s. In our morning worship services, we will have a time of recommitment of our lives to following Christ and advancing his Kingdom. If you are a member of St. Luke’s, you should have received a packet titled “Glorifying God through Generosity.” Inside is a booklet with some important information and a commitment card to support St. Luke’s ministries in 2019. You can also look at the information and make a commitment online here. Please take a look, and prayerfully consider your giving to St. Luke’s in the upcoming year. We use all of the information to make decisions about ministries and projects we want to undertake. This Sunday, we will dedicate those commitment cards at the altar in all of our worship services. If you are not ready to make a financial commitment, or have done so online, please come to worship anyway and let this week be a time for a commitment or recommitment of your life. I believe that commitment will make all the difference. This Sunday, we conclude our series of sermons “Show Me: the Letter of James,” with a message called “Be A Doer.” We will consider how important it is to actually take some action as Christians. If you are ready to take some action, here are some important possible ways to serve. Click here and scroll down. This Sunday night, October 28, at 5:00 pm in the Sanctuary, Jim Roman, St. Luke’s new associate organist, and his wife Grace, will present their recital of “And Music Shall Untune the Sky.” (This was postponed a few weeks ago when the organ was out of commission!) It’s free, with a goodwill offering that benefits Friends of Music. PRAYER CALENDAR Sunday, October 28 Heavenly Father, Scripture tells us that you have great plans for us, but sometimes we choose a different path. Forgive us, Father, when we fail to do what you have called us to do. Help us to learn from our past mistakes, and give us the courage to step out in faith to follow the path you have laid out for us. Strengthen us to move out of our comfortable habits and to make the most of the opportunities that you place before us. Amen. Monday, October 29 Loving God, we spend a lot of our prayer time telling you our needs for ourselves or for others. Today, I am going to spend time being still and listening for your voice. Speak to me, O Lord. Amen. Tuesday, October 30 Almighty God, we sometimes get weary and overwhelmed with the things of the world. Give us your strength and power to make a difference, and renew our spiritual fervor each day. Amen. Wednesday, October 31 Heavenly Father, we pray that you would protect us from the evil in the world. Help us to seek you and your ways, and help us to always look for ways to make the world a better place. Amen. Thursday, November 1 Heavenly Father, I come to you in thanks for all your blessings, the ways you love us, your mercy, and the gift of your forgiveness. I am thankful for your unconditional loving kindness. Father, please give me the insight and awareness to find you in each of my days. In your Holy name I pray, Amen. -Prayer from Koinonia Friday, November 2 Dear God, thank you for all the blessings that you provide to us every day. It is through the sacrifice of your Son that we are able to find grace and forgiveness in you. Thank you for this church and the people who attend it. The people and the church make a huge difference in the lives of people. Please open our minds and soften our hearts so that we might be more in touch with your will. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen. Saturday, November 3 Heavenly Father, we thank you for the abundant blessings we enjoy in America. We thank you for freedom, opportunity and the ability to worship you. We ask for wisdom and your guidance that we may make the most of these blessings. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.