Joint service to celebrate Pentecost

REDEEMER LUTHERAN AND ST. THEODORE

On Sunday, Oct. 5, the congregations of Redeemer Lutheran Church and St. Theodore of Canterbury Episcopal Church will celebrate the Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost.

Refreshments will be available after the service in the downstairs fellowship hall.

The Rev. Dean Nelson, bishop emeritus, will preside. The 10:30 a.m. Holy Communion service meets 13564 St. Andrews Drive in Leisure World in Seal Beach. All are welcome; singers are invited to join choir practices Sundays at 9:15 a.m.

The midweek Bible study on Women of the Bible will held from noon-1:15 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 8, in Fellowship Hall (the group will not meet on Oct. 1). All are welcome to attend and bring lunch if desired. Drinks are available. A study guide will be distributed. The Rev. Murray Finck will lead the discussion.

On Oct. 5, the Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost, the gospel lesson will be from Luke, Chapter 17, verses 5-10.

A call to faith will be held at the Oct. 5 service. The disciples ask Jesus to increase their faith. Jesus does not just say, “Poof, your faith is increased,” rather he calls them to service and to the awareness of others.

He calls them to live their faith and thus, increase it. It is like a muscle, use it and it gets bigger. Jesus uses the image of the mustard seed, something that he uses on a few occasions when speaking of faith. A mustard seed is one of the smallest seeds, but it can grow to cover large areas because it increases by propagation. So also, is faith. By using it and trusting it, people can move mountains, or, in this case, trees.