| For Thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon Thee. Psalm 86:5 Last week United Press International carried the sad story of Sarfaraz Shah. Let me try to summarize that story. It begins this way: Unarmed Sarfaraz Shah was only 17-years-old when he was shot in a Karachi, Pakistan, park. It seems some paramilitary soldiers had caught Shah trying to steal from some folks and they threatened the wayward lad. Apparently, they told him they would save him the time and inconvenience of a court trial by executing him on the spot. Cameras from a local TV station show that Shah took those threats seriously. The tape shows the boy begging for mercy, begging for his life. He was still begging for mercy when they shot him. After that, Shah stopped begging to be spared and began begging to be taken to a hospital. It was at the hospital that 17-year-old Sarfaraz Shah bled to death. Although this case is extreme, it does show that the mighty of this world -- those who are drunk with power -- really don't have much appreciation for the concept of mercy. They look upon mercy as being synonymous with weakness. That's the kind of attitude which should make us even more appreciative of our Lord and His attitude toward sinful humankind. Because of our sins, God could have summarily ended our relationship, could have snuffed out our lives. That He chose not to do so is amazing. That He decided to send His Son into the world to take our place under the Law, to bear our punishment, to die our death is beyond comprehension. This is why we who have been called to faith by the Holy Spirit ought to join with the Psalmist and say, "For Thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon Thee." We have a God who is plenteous in mercy. It's something to remember and hold on to when we read our newspaper or watch the news. THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, for treating me in a way far better than I deserve, I give thanks to You. For sending Your Son to pay my debts, I shall be eternally grateful. May I hold on to these wonderful truths when I am confronted by the sad and sorry stories of man's inhumanity. This I pray in my Savior's Name. Amen. |
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YESTERDAY'S QUIZ: According to Ezekiel, what happened in the seventh year in the fifth month on the tenth day? The lders of Israel met with him to find out what was going to happen to them. (Doug Herzog got it mostly right, and no one else answered it, so he retains his crown.)
Sun- Bible study 8am; worship 9am; Bible study 10:30; Youth Group meet at 10:15 at church to clean up highway; fellowship meeting at Schirrs 7pm
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NEWS:
The ninth annual T-3 Men's Retreat is set for Friday-Sunday, September 23-25, 2011. This promises to be another great experience for the men of St John's and other Lutheran congregations in the St. Charles area. In fact, men from all over the metro area have joined this special time in the past. Men 18 years of age or older are eligible and they need not be Lutheran to attend. The retreat will be held at Mark Twain State Park at the Si Coburn Group Camp. This is a beautiful setting for a weekend of adventure and growth. The theme of this year's retreat is "Respectable Sins" and the study times during the retreat will be spent exploring the areas of our lives where we have come to accept less than God might want from us.
The retreat will feature great food and a lot of activities A scramble golf tournament, fishing tournament, trap and skeet shooting competition, and euchre tournament all take place on Saturday morning. If none of these interest you, you may choose to spend time reading, hiking , biking, site seeing, or napping. Prizes are awarded to tournament winners at dinner on Saturday evening. Campfires on Friday and Saturday nights provide the opportunity to get to know others better under the stars. Music is a big part of the camp experience and you will enjoy hearing and singing familiar songs with the 100+ men who typically attend. The culminating worship service on Sunday morning is a special time of praising God for all His gifts to us and a great way to prepare us to return to our homes and lives.
The cost of the retreat is only $42 and this includes meals and a commemorative tee-shirt. Attendees have the option of staying in group cabins or tent camping on the grounds at no additional charge. You can even arrange to stay in a local motel near the camp at reduced rates if you like.
A brochure with all information and a registration form will be available soon in the narthex. You can also register online at www.t3mensretreat.org using PayPal. It is really easy and you can see pictures of the camp and facilities there, too.
This is the year for you to go to the T-3 (trap-tackle-tees) Retreat. Sign up, meet new friends, bring old friends, and join in the fun of growing your faith. For more information, contact Don Hugo at Zion –636 441-7425 ext 246 or home 636 441-9954.
20- Mauch
21- Panhorst
27- Perricone
28- Sweet
September
3- mckenzie
4- Panhorst
10- Perricone
11- Schaumberg
17- Perricone
18- Heitgerd
24- Mauch
25- mckenzie
October
1- mckenzie
2- Panhorst
8-
9- Winn
15-
16- Heitgerd
22- mckenzie
23- Schaumberg
29- mckenzie
30-
November
5- mckenzie
6-PEPER
12-
13-PEPER
19-
20-PEPER
23- (Thanksgiving Eve) mckenzie
24- (Thanksgiving Day)
26-
27-
For PAUL TOEDEBUSCH who is awaiting test results on a biopsy.
OUR CHURCH as we continue the CARE PROCESS.
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