Four Things on Friday
August 9, 2019
An Interesting
Article/Podcast
This article really touched me in a couple of ways. For
those who don’t know Sean Astin, he is an actor who starred in movies like The Goonies, Rudy, The Lord of the Rings
Trilogy (Samwise Gamgee is, in my opinion, the hero of the story!), and
recently, Stranger Things 2. I think
he’s pretty great, and I’ve been inspired by some of the characters he has
played. I only learned recently that he is a runner, which is pretty cool.
Astin is also the same age as I am, and struggles with his weight as I do. I
feel a bit of a connection him on these levels. Also, I heard a rumor that he’s
a Lutheran. So there’s that!
Bible Verse I’m
Pondering
… pray without ceasing … - 1 Thessalonians 5:17
One Good Thing
This Week
I received a phone call from Dr. John Dieffenthaller this
week. Dieffenthaller was a professor at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, and,
later, a district president, so my first thought was, “Why is he calling me?”
He has taken a new position as a representative for Lutheran World Relief (LWR),
and it was in that capacity that he was calling. When he took the job he asked
for a list of the top sixty LCMS congregation in donations to LWR. Gloria Dei
is on that list. I am proud of our congregation and our generosity. We are making
a difference in the world and a difference in the Kingdom of God as we support
ministries like LWR who meet people in their physical needs and share the
Gospel of Jesus Christ with them.
Our Scripture
readings for the 9th Sunday after Pentecost are:
Over the years I have learned that those who read the
Scripture lessons and spend a little time thinking about them before church on
Sunday get more out of the service. We are stepping out of the appointed
readings across the summer to focus on some issues related to The Art of Living
by Faith. We will, however, returned to our regularly scheduled readings in
September.
The sermon is: The Art of Living By Faith: The Cry of
Faith
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