August 25, Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost

Choir Starts This Sunday

Choir will begin on Sunday, August 25, with an 8:30 a.m. rehearsal before the service in the choir room. Regular Wednesday rehearsals resume next week, August 28, at 7:00 p.m. New members are welcome to both choir and bells. No auditions required! If you have any questions about joining the music ministry at Grace, please contact Nick at music@glccu.org. 

Readings and Psalm

Joshua 24:1-2a, 14-18: Joshua calls all Israel to serve the Lord

Psalm 34:15-22: The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous. (Ps. 34:15)

Ephesians 6:10-20: Put on the armor of God

John 6:56-69: The bread of eternal life

In today’s gospel many people take offense at Jesus’ invitation to eat his flesh and drink his blood; even many of Jesus’ disciples peel off. This is the backdrop in John’s gospel for Peter’s confession of faith. “To whom can we go?” asks Peter, in words we sometimes sing just before the gospel is read. “You have the words of eternal life.” In order to take such a stand, as Peter and Joshua did, Paul tells us to arm ourselves with the word of God. We pray in the Spirit that we might be bold ambassadors of the gospel.

Worship Support

Assisting Minister: Eileen Herrstrom

Reader: Rodney Marshall

Deacon: Dan Lepp

Ushers: Bilger-Meyer family

Greeters: Brian and Amy Nicely

Livestreamer: Dave Brown

Sound: Kevin Vail

For the upcoming Worship Support schedule, see the spreadsheet found here on Google Drive.

WORSHIP VOLUNTEERS

Worship volunteers are always welcome. Here is a list of some worship activities and the name of the person who schedules them. Feel free to email that person for more detailed information.

              Music opportunities: Nick Pierle

              Ushers: Dave Larson

              Readers: Carolyn Pater

              Greeters: Julie Johnson

              Deacons: Karen Maher

Contact Information for each point of contact can be found here on Google Drive.

New Liturgy Setting Coming Soon.

Beginning next Sunday, September 1, we will be using a new setting of the Sunday communion liturgy from our new hymnal supplement, All Creation Sings. We've been easing you in to this setting with "Be Known To Us, Lord Jesus," which we have been using this summer. But there are three more musical parts to learn, so we're giving you a chance to get a jump on things now with this helpful link from an ELCA congregation up in the Chicago area. Note that the "Alleluia" verse will have different words in the middle, but it is the same tune. If you play this video through four or five times, you'll find the melodies sinking in pretty quickly.

Hops and Hymns

Hops and Hymns is back! Join members of Grace, Good Shepherd, and St. Matthew’s for an evening of singing and fellowship. We’ll meet at Riggs Brewing this Sunday, August 25, at 5 p.m. Bring the whole family and a friend! 

Stitch and Craft

Join us for Stitch and Craft at 7 p.m. on Friday, August 23! Bring whatever project you'd like to work on.

Please note the LOCATION CHANGE

Grace Book Club Announcement

The False White Gospel: Rejecting Christian Nationalism, Reclaiming True Faith, and Re-founding Democracy by Jim Wallis

The next book for the Grace Book Club has been selected. This book will be a very different topic than we normally discuss, but provides a timely opportunity for us to connect our faith with current happenings in the United States.

The author, Jim Wallis, is Georgetown University’s inaugural holder of the Archbishop Desmond Tutu Chair in Faith and Justice. Wallis promotes a civic faith of love, healing and hope, and endorses a politics of neighborly love as central to the future of democracy in America. In The False White Gospel, he uses biblical texts in examining what Jesus has called us to do. 

Discussion of the book will be held on Tuesday evening, August 27, at 6 p.m. at Grace Lutheran Church in the Narthex. Please bring your own sack supper. Beverages will be provided. We hope you will join us!

Note: The False White Gospel by Jim Wallis was published in 2024 by St. Martin’s Essentials, NY. This book can be purchased at any of your favorite bookstores and book sources (print and digital), or can be borrowed from the Champaign and Urbana Public Libraries.

Janet Lepp and Jo Fleming  

August 25 to September 1

Sunday, August 25

8:30 a.m.: Choir Rehearsal (Choir Room)

9:30 a.m.: Worship Service (in-person/livestream)

11 a.m.: Adult Sunday School (Hoffmeister Room)

12 p.m.: Women's AA (Hoffmeister Room)

2 p.m.: Dada Bhagwan Vignan Institute (Fellowship Hall, Nursery)

5 p.m.: Hops n' Hymns (Riggs Beer Co.)

Monday, August 26

10 a.m.: Food for Seniors (Fellowship Hall)

6:30 p.m.: Wood Carving Group (Kitchenette)

7 p.m.: Bell Choir Rehearsal (Choir Room)

Tuesday, August 27

6 a.m.: Food for Seniors (Fellowship Hall)

2:00p.m.: W & M Hymns (Pastor's Office)

3:00p.m.: W & M Meeting (Pastor's Office)

6 p.m.: Adult Children of Alcoholics (Chapel)

6:30 p.m.: Sweet Adelines (Fellowship Hall)

Wednesday, August 28

7 p.m.: Choir Rehearsal (Choir Room)

Thursday, August 29

10 a.m.: Food Pantry (Fellowship Hall)

5:15 p.m.: Mutual Ministry Committee Meeting (Pastor's Office)

Sunday, September 1

9:30 a.m.: Worship Service (in-person/livestream)

10:45 a.m.: Property Committee Meeting (Chapel)

11 a.m.: Adult Sunday School (Hoffmeister Room)

12 p.m.: Women's AA (Hoffmeister Room)

Prayer Requests



We have two formal ways of praying for one another at Grace. One is in the Sunday morning worship service, where we pray for people by name in the Prayers of Intercession. They will also be listed in the emailed and printed versions of GraceNotes, but not in the web version. Please send prayer requests for the Sunday-morning prayers to office@glccu.org. You may also submit prayer requests on our website at https://glccu.org/prayer-requests/.

Using GLC Facilities



Our facilities are available for use by members and by outside groups. If you would like to use any part of the facility, please fill out a Facilities Use Request, found on the web site, and contact Alex in the office to ensure that it is on the calendar, so that the space is ready for you and that you are aware of how to adjust the appropriate thermostat.

Pastor's Discretionary Fund

The Pastor's Discretionary Fund allows the church to offer financial assistance to people in our community. The office receives requests for help with rent, utilities, and other needs, and your donations make this important work possible!

To donate to this fund, you can give online at https://glccu.org/donate/ or by mailing a check to the church office with "Pastor's Discretionary Fund" in the memo line.