Dear Brothers and Sisters of Messiah,
Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!
Closing in on 30 days after Easter Sunday, We continue to rejoice in the Easter season! The coming Sundays emphasize Jesus' words to His disciples in the upper room the night before His death -- words of teaching, comfort and peace for them then, and for us today.
Our life together at Messiah also provides numerous opportunities for worship, education, fellowship and service in the coming weeks, too!
WORSHIP AND CLASS SCHEDULE
The Divine Service continues weekly at 10:00 am on Sundays. Sunday School & Bible Class are held beforehand at 9:00 am, beginning with a joint opening in the Fellowship Hall. Sunday School will break for the summer after Memorial Day weekend. (Note that Monday night services will be held from Monday, June 2nd through Monday, August 25th at 7:00 pm.)
Livestreams of our Sunday services can be found at
Our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/messiahgr
The most recent livestreamed service is viewable on our website's front page, www.messiahgr.org
Our Spring Bible Study continues Wednesdays at 6:00 pm. Dan Bohlinger & Pastor Hoese are leading this study on The Lutheran Difference: Angels & Demons. Click here for a sample!
On Thursday, May 29th, we will gather with our brothers and sisters in Christ at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Rockford (310 E Division St NE) to celebrate The Ascension of Our Lord. A meal will be served at 6:00 pm, followed by the Divine Service at 7:00 pm; Pastor Jason Hoese will preside over the service, and Pastor Eric will preach the sermon. We invite you to rejoice in the proclamation of God’s Word, in the sound of our combined choirs and in the gift of our Lord’s body and blood as we worship Him together!
Our monthly Lutheran Confessions Study returns to its roots! You are warmly invited to join us in an engaging study of The Augsburg Confession, continuing Thursday, June 5th at 10:00 am.
WHAT'S NEW AND NEXT
Our May newsletter is available online; click here to preview or download it in its entirety. Paper copies of the newsletter are available at our Welcome Center. We post the newsletter (including monthly calendars) and our weekly announcements online at www.messiahgr.org/news; calendars are also online separately at www.messiahgr.org/calendar. Be sure to check the newsletter and our weekly announcements for more info on the events listed below:
NEW! Preschool Year End Program Thursday, May 22nd. You're invited to rejoice with our preschool children and staff at what the children have learned and how they've grown this year! Year end program in the sanctuary at 9:00 am; Outdoor Evening Celebration (with picnic potluck and bounce house) at our playground/pavilion area from 5:45 to 7:00 pm.
Bread Baking Bonanza Saturday, May 24th from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm. Join folks from our church and preschool communities for a bread-baking starter class. Space is limited; click here to learn more and sign up!
NEW! New Member Welcome Pentecost Sunday, June 8th! We'll welcome our new members or 2025 during worship, then have a Welcome Potluck in the Fellowship Hall afterwards. Sign up to bring a dish at the Welcome Center or in Bible Class.
Vacation Bible School: Epic Australian Adventure Monday - Friday, June 16th - 20th from 9:00 am to 11:45 am. Register kids (age 4 as of August 1st through entering grade 6) now at www.vbsmate.com/messiahgr2025. There are plenty of opportunities to volunteer and donate key items, too! Volunteer training is set for this Saturday, May 17th from 9:00 to 11:00 am. Contact Steve Ledbetter for details.
Yours in Christ, Pastor Eric and Rick Krueger
A HYMN FOR THIS COMING SUNDAY:
One of our communion hymns for May 18th,All Creatures of Our God and Kinghas its source in St. Francis of Assisi'sCanticle of the Sun (the first religious poem in the Italian language). Alone, ill and unable to sleep one night in the summer of 1225, Francis occupied himself in composing a tribute to the Triune God, thanking Him for creating the heavens, the earth, and all within them. In the early 1900s British pastor William Draper turned the meaning of Francis' canticle around in his translation, calling all those creations - sun & moon, wind & clouds, evening & morning, water & fire, earth & its fruits, human beings - to join in praising their Creator. The English version has always been paired with the anonymous German tune "Lasst uns erfreuen" ("let us rejoice") associated with the Easter season. We hope you enjoy the version below, sung at Westminster Abbey during the memorial service for Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.
