His Time - Hope Lutheran Church's 100th Anniversary, Witness Wednesday, "The Beatitudes"

1. Hope Lutheran Church: 100th Anniversary

Rev. Randy Asburry, pastor of Hope Lutheran Church in South St. Louis, talks about the congregation’s upcoming 100th Anniversary Celebration. For more information, visit their website hopelutheranstl.org or contact the church office at 314-352-0014.

Friday, October 7, 7 – 9 p.m. Sing and hear about hymns composed within the past 100 years. Revel in the world premier of the festival setting of “As Stone on Living Stone is Set,” the hymn commissioned for Hope’s 100th Anniversary. Dr. Jeffrey Blersch from Concordia University Nebraska will be the organist.

Saturday, October 8, 12 – 5 p.m. Family Fall Festival to celebrate Hope’s 100th Anniversary with games and activities for all ages. Food will be from Kenrick’s BBQ, with a minimal cost for food. All are welcome!

Sunday, October 9, 10 – 11:30 a.m. Join us in celebrating God’s blessing and goodness to Hope Lutheran Church, St. Louis, MO, for 100 years. Rev. Dr. Lee Hagan, Missouri District President, will be preaching. Featuring “As Stone on Living Stone is Set” and other singing and fanfare. The service will be followed by a banquet at Genesis Banquet Center, 2651 Telegraph Rd, St. Louis, MO 63125.

2. Witness Wednesday

With Rev. Mark Wood, Director of Witness and Outreach in the LCMS Office of National Mission.

3. Daily Lectionary

Rev. Scott Johnson from St. John’s Lutheran Church in Conover, North Carolina, studies Matthew 5:1-20.

4. Morning Prayer Sermonette

Today’s sermonette is given by Rev. Scott Johnson from St. John’s Lutheran Church in Conover, North Carolina.

"The Bible is cradle wherein Christ is laid." - Martin Luther — “The Bible is cradle wherein Christ is laid.” – Martin Luther

Matthew 5:1-20

The Sermon on the Mount

5 Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him.

The Beatitudes

²And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:

³“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

⁴“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

⁵“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

⁶“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

⁷“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

⁸“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

⁹“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons^[a] of God.

¹⁰“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, fort heirs is the kingdom of heaven.

¹¹“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. ¹²Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Salt and Light

¹³“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.

¹⁴“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.¹⁵Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. ¹⁶In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that^[b] they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Christ Came to Fulfill the Law

¹⁷“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. ¹⁸For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. ¹⁹Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. ²⁰For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Footnotes:

Matthew 5:9 Greek huioi; see Preface
Matthew 5:16 Or house. ¹⁶Let your light so shine before others that

Andy Bates, DCE

If you haven’t had Associate Executive Director's Andy Bates’s smoked mac and cheese from scratch (yes, including the noodles), you’re missing out on a magical food experience. Although he’ll gladly go venturing through the woods in his Vivobarefoot Trail Freaks (those are shoes), he’ll also stay happily busy automating every possible thing in his home while eating cherry cheesecake brownies made by his wife, Lauren. As a Theatre major, don’t ask him to pick a favorite play, but you may find him hanging out with his adorable son watching Trolls or listening to bluegrass or the latest audiobook on biomechanics.