This Week's E-Letter

Saint Luke’s Lutheran Church
Colorado Springs, Colorado

May 7, 2008

Dear friends in Christ,

“When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. [2] And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. [3] Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. [4] All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.” Acts 2:1-3

“And they were all together in one place…” This Sunday, we will celebrate the festival of Pentecost and the gift of the Holy Spirit, after Jesus’ ascension. And it is not insignificant that St. Luke tells us “they were all together in one place”—and then the Spirit came upon them. It made me think, what if you were the one or two who were not together with the disciples, so that you missed receiving the Holy Spirit? This is what happened to Thomas when the Risen Jesus first appeared to the apostles—Thomas wasn’t there, so he didn’t get to see Jesus. And in the same way, Luke is emphasizing the importance of the disciples being together when the Spirit was given. And what is important is the community—the fact that all the disciples gathered together, and they receive the Spirit together, although tongues as of fire rested upon each of them. And if you think about it, this is the point of our weekly gathering for worship. We come together and we receive the Risen Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and God’s gifts of grace in Word and Sacrament. If we do not gather with the community on Sunday, then we miss these means of grace!

Honestly, I don’t know how one gets through a week without gathering together with the community of faith on Sunday (or Saturday) to experience Jesus’ incarnate presence in Word and Sacrament, and to be blessed by God with us in communal worship. I would trudge through the week with a certain emptiness and barrenness, knowing I had not been together with the disciples, and so had missed receiving the Lord. Maybe you are really spiritually atuned, so that you “feel” Jesus with you always…but most of us are so busy and distracted that we need his incarnate presence—we need to receive Him in tangible means—bread and wine that become His Body and Blood. Come meet with all the disciples this weekend!

Tomorrow evening, Thursday, May 8^th, there will be a Holy Communion service at Saint Luke’s, 7:30 p.m., with the Sangre de Cristo chapter of the Society of the Holy Trinity as our guests, as they are here for their Spring retreat. There will be 11 pastors and seminarians in attendance, including Pr. Frank Senn, Senior of the Society. Guests will be here from Evanston , IL ; Phoenix ; Wichita , KS ; Wilson , KS ; Universal City , TX ; and Denver . Please come welcome these pastors and friends of our congregation. Presiding at the service will be chaplain for the retreat, Pr. Peter Jacobson , pastor of Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, Wichita , KS . I will be the preacher.

SATURDAY SERVICE -- 5 p.m. If you can’t make worship on Sunday, please come Saturday evening!

This Sunday, May 11^th will be a BIG Sunday. It will be the Festival of Pentecost, so please wear something red! It will also be Mother’s Day, and all mothers are invited to come to church and receive a carnation, and special Mother’s Day blessing. It will also be the final day of Sunday School and Sunday Adult Class for the Spring. Please have May 11^th on your calendar!

This Monday, May 12, 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. all who are interested are invited to come meet with Bishop Richard Hanifen, bishop emeritus of the Roman Catholic diocese of Colorado Springs . He is coming as a guest of the Book Study group which is currently discussing the book, “Church Unity and the Papal Office”. If you are coming, please send me a reply e-mail so that we can have plenty of chairs!

Sign-up now for Ballroom Dance lessons, Tuesday, May 27^th, 6:30-8:30 p.m. ($10 per person), and then for the “Saint Luke’s Spring Prom” Friday, May 30^th, 7-9 p.m.

Go to our Parish Website! You’d be surprised how much info is available there: newsletters, Server Schedule, Server Instructions, sermons (in print and audio format), Worship Booklet, Worship Notes, e-Letters, Wedding Policy Booklet, Children’s Center web-page, and on and on! Our website is at www.saintlukes-cs.org .

Please note: Attendance last Sunday 248! Our goal: every member worshiping every Sunday possible!

In Christ,

Pastor Dave

Lessons for the Festival of Pentecost

FIRST LESSON: Acts 2:1-21 When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. [2] And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. [3] Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. [4] All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability. [5] Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem . [6] And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. [7] Amazed and astonished, they asked, "Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? [8] And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? [9] Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia , Pontus and Asia, [10] Phrygia and Pamphylia , Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene , and visitors from Rome , both Jews and proselytes, [11] Cretans and Arabs--in our own languages we hear them speaking about God's deeds of power." [12] All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, "What does this mean?" [13] But others sneered and said, "They are filled with new wine."

PSALM 104:24-35

O Lord, how manifold are your works!
In wisdom you have / made them all;*
the earth is full / of your creatures.
Yonder is the sea, great and wide,
creeping things too man- / y to number,*
living things both / small and great.
There / go the ships,*
and Leviathan that you formed to / sport in it.
These all / look to you*
to give them their food / in due season;
when you give to them, they gath- / er it up;*
when you open your hand, they are filled / with good things.
When you hide your face, they / are dismayed;*
when you take away their breath, they die
and return / to their dust.
When you send forth your spirit, they / are created;*
and you renew the face / of the ground.
May the glory of the Lord en- / dure forever;*
may the Lord rejoice / in his works--
who looks on the earth / and it trembles,*
who touches the mountains / and they smoke.
I will sing to the Lord as long / as I live;*
I will sing praise to my God while / I have being.
May my meditation be pleas- / ing to him,*
for I rejoice / in the Lord.
Let sinners be consumed from the earth,
and let the wicked / be no more.*
Bless the Lord, O my soul. / Praise the Lord!
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the / Holy Spirit; *
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forev- / er.
Amen.

SECOND READING : 1 Corinthians 12:3b-13 No one can say "Jesus is Lord" except by the Holy Spirit. [4] Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; [5] and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; [6] and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. [7] To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. [8] To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, [9] to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, [10] to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. [11] All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses. [12] For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. [13] For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body--Jews or Greeks, slaves or free--and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. [14] But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, "Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem , let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. [15] Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o'clock in the morning. [16] No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel: [17] 'In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. [18] Even upon my slaves, both men and women, in those days I will pour out my Spirit; and they shall prophesy. [19] And I will show portents in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and smoky mist. [20] The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the coming of the Lord's great and glorious day. [21] Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.'

HOLY GOSPEL: St. John 20:19-23 When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." [20] After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. [21] Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you." [22] When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. [23] If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."