Redeemer Lutheran and St. Theodore

On Sunday, Nov. 23, the congregations of Redeemer Lutheran Church and St. Theodore of Canterbury Episcopal Church will celebrate Christ the King Sunday, the last Sunday of the Church Year. The Rev. Brad Stienstra will preside over the holy Communion service that gathers at 10:30 a.m. at 13564 St. Andrews Drive.

Fellowship will be held after the service in the downstairs Fellowship Hall with coffee, tea, cookies and snacks.

The congregations thank everyone who participated in the Holiday Bazaar on Nov. 13-14.

Redeemer and St. Theodore will hold its annual advent gatherings on Dec. 3, 10 and 17 at 3 p.m. on Wednesdays to observe Advent, followed by a meal at 4 p.m. Everyone is encouraged to join to prepare for the celebration of Christmas in a spiritual way.

The gospel lesson for this week is from Luke 23:33-43. On Nov. 23, the congregations will celebrate Christ the King. Despite the title, this week’s gospel lesson isn’t about Jesus’ power, strength and Godhood. Rather, this week brings the congregation back the first lesson in radical love: Jesus on the cross. He is dying. He is not saving himself. He is not cursing those who are killing him. Instead, he prays for those who are killing him. Even on the cross, Jesus continues his work of saving and forgiving people.

Jesus asks no more of believers than what he does himself. He understands humanity in all its frailty and endurance because he was human. Jesus came and walked the earth as a human being to show people the way back to the father. His life and death were about sharing the radical love God has for humanity. It was about trust, obedience, forgiveness, caring, pain, sharing, suffering and divine love.