Redeemer Lutheran and St. Theodore of Canterbury

On Sunday, Aug. 23, the congregations of Redeemer Lutheran Church and St. Theodore of Canterbury Episcopal Church will celebrate the 13th Sunday after Pentecost at 10:30 a.m. Rev. Murray D. Finck will lead the Holy Communion service at 13564 St. Andrews Drive in Leisure World. All are welcome.

Sylvia Makus will be the acolyte, and Carmen Leslie will be the Holy communion assistant at the service.

Join the congregation for coffee, tea, cookies and snacks in Fellowship Hall after service. The congregations are still collecting food for those in need.

The congregation will host a new member reception on Sunday, Aug. 30, which is subject to change if there are scheduling issues for new members. Those who are interested in becoming members should talk with Rev. Finck or Kay Pushman. People can also fill out new member papers in the baskets on the counter in the back of the sanctuary and turn them in on the offertory plate.

On Wednesday, Aug. 26, the Bible study will continue the series titled “The Life, Ministry, and Mission of Jesus.” It will focus on the story from all four of the Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. In addition to the lessons, the group will watch episodes from the made-fortelevision series “The Chosen.”

People meet on the first and third Mondays of the month to help the congregation prepare crafts for the next holiday bazaar. The next meeting is Monday, Sept. 14, , downstairs in the Fellowship Hall. There will be planned projects with directions, and all materials will be provided.

The congregation will participate in “God’s Works. Our Hands” on Sept. 13. This is an annual event guided by the Evangelical Lutheran Church. The congregation will collect dry goods and canned goods to be donated to Lutheran Social Services that day.

This week, the message on Sunday will be from Isaiah 51:16 and Matthew 16:13-20.

Isaiah reminds Israel of the greatness of the Lord, what the Lord has already done for them and the promise of the Lord’s divine blessings: bringing them out of exile into a future Eden.

The first reminder was of Abraham and Sarah. Through the Lord, Abraham and Sarah had a child and through them, Israel became a nation.

In Matthew, Jesus is in front of a mountain that has niches for the Roman gods. This is the background of Peter’s profession of faith in Jesus being the Messiah. Jesus pronounces Peter as the “rock” upon which Jesus’ church will be built and nothing will prevail against it.

The first lesson reminds the Israelites that the nation came from God’s gift of a child to Abraham and Sarah, their forefather/mother in faith; the rock from which they are formed. In the Gospel lesson, Jesus presents Peter as the new rock foundation of a new church.