Freed—From and For
Pastor Sally is back in the pulpit today. Healthy and strong, ready to proclaim God’s great love and blessings on all. Freedom flows through all the readings this day. Moses reminds the people of Israel they have the freedom to choose between life and prosperity or death and adversity. Moses tells the people they are free to choose bondage to God and life or bondage to sin and death. Either way they will be bound to something. She will proclaim the good news found as Paul reminds Philemon that he—Paul—is not free but is a “prisoner of Christ Jesus.” Paul reminds Philemon that he has the freedom to hold on to his slave Onesimus and the freedom to grant freedom. In the gospel Jesus speaks a word, that resonates in ways that might make us all feel a tad uncomfortable. Do you own your stuff or does your stuff own you? Jesus seems to suggest that our stuff, our possessions, could make it difficult to follow faithfully. In Christ, freedom comes from letting go. Freedom comes through giving away and trusting Jesus. In Christ we are free people. Free to choose life, free to choose faithfulness, and free to open our arms wide and receive the free grace of God. This is the God who chooses to never stop loving us.
Is this the Sunday we find ourselves freed, freed from all our stuff, freed from slavery to things and others demands? It is God’s Work…Our Hands Sunday. Is this the Sunday we sing with gusto, “Give it away, Give it away?”
SUNDAY: September 8
“God’s Work, Our Hands” Sunday
Holy Communion
9 am – First, Chariton
11 am – Christ the Servant, Corydon
10:15 am – FLC Sunday School Begins
10:15 am – Executive Committee at FLC
1 pm – Slavic Worship
2-4 pm – Visitation for the family of Martha Milnes
at the Pierschbacher Funeral Home
in Chariton
Lutheran Adult Fellowship has been postponed
until Sunday, September 22
MONDAY: September 9
10:30 am – Funeral for Martha Milnes at First
Lutheran followed by burial and then
lunch at the church
2 pm – Laplanders Quilt Guild at CTS
6:30 pm – Council at FLC
TUESDAY: September 10
8 am – Breakfast Gals
5-7 pm – St. Paul, Albia – Free Community
Spaghetti Supper
WEDNESDAY: September 11
THURSDAY: September 12
Noon – Women of the ELCA at Red Haw
7 pm – Slavic Worship
FRIDAY: September 13
Office Closed
SATURDAY: September 14
NEXT SUNDAY: September 15
First Lutheran’s 150th Anniversary!
9 am – Coffee and Conversation
10 am – Worship with
Bishop Michael Burk
Joint Service for CTS & FLC
11:30 am – Lunch served at Carpenter’s Hall
(1215 Court Avenue)
Please RSVP for the lunch by September 8. A sign-up form will be passed during all worship services prior to the celebration, or you can call or email the church office. (641-774-4875 or flcchariton@iowatelecom.net)
Please come and celebrate with us!