Bethlehem Lutheran Church River Grove, IL

In grateful response to God's grace and empowered by the Holy Spirit through Word and Sacraments, the mission of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod is vigorously to make known the love of Christ by word and deed within our churches, communities and the world. 

Memorial Day - Memorial Day is a day of remembering loss. Some think of it as a nation’s loss. But for those who miss a fallen son or daughter, a parent or a spouse, or a battle buddy, Memorial Day is personal. It’s a reminder of painful personal loss. Small American flags flutter next to graves this weekend. Their markers may carry, not only a name, but a military rank. Some of them read, “General” or “Admiral.” But there are plenty with the label “Seaman” or “Private” and every rank in between. War is no respecter of rank. Nor does it care if loved ones shed tears over gravestones long after the war is over. War does not care, but God our Father does. Some flags hang next to graves marked, “Known but to God.” Their loved ones have no place to bring flowers of remembrance. No stone to weep over. Yet, there is comfort in knowing that our Father knows each one of them. He marked the place where they fell. He watched the grave being dug or the casket slipping into the sea. He knew their name before their parents thought of it and remember it still.

God loved them with a sacrificial love and gave up your Son for them. His body once lay in a grave, too. The Father knows the pain of loss. In His loss he gained for us the answer to loss. Those who lose this life trusting in Him gain an everlasting life in glory. Jesus laid down his life that those who love him may overcome our nation’s greatest enemy: Death.

We pray: Eternal Father, strong to save, bring your healing to our America. Stretch out your hand to shield our nation from harm. Bring peace to our shores and love to our hearts. Bring your strength to our weakness and your peace to our pain. When we feel loss, let us remember you. Amen

+ Ruth Koy + - Long time previous member of Bethlehem Ruth Koy died last week at the age of 99.  There are  no services planned.  We pray for God’s blessings on all who mourn her departure.

This Sunday - SIXTH SUNDAY OF EASTER

Acts 16:9–15

Revelation 21:9–14, 21–27

John 16:23–33

We Pray to the Father in Jesus’ Name

“In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Jesus has opened the way to the Father so that “whatever you ask of the Father” in Jesus’ name, “he will give it to you” (John 16:23). We pray, therefore, in the confidence that we will be heard and answered, that our “joy may be full” (John 16:24). We pray because the Gospel has been preached to us and the Lord has opened our hearts to believe the Gospel (Acts 16:10, 14). We pray in the name of Jesus because we have been baptized into Him, as Lydia and her household were baptized (Acts 16:15). We have been healed, and we live and walk and pray in newness of life (John 5:8–9). For we stand upon the firm foundation “of the twelve apostles of the Lamb” (Rev. 21:14), and our temple is “the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb” (Rev. 21:22).

Jesus rose from the dead on the third day and opened the gates of heaven to all who trust in him.

God accepts all who believe in Jesus even though there is no merit or worthiness in us.

So that we might believe in Jesus, God has given us the ministry, which is the preaching of Christ and the

Sacraments of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Through these, God also gives us the forgiveness of sins.

When God brings people to faith, He also produces many good works in our lives. These are done, not to earn

grace, but to do God’s will and please him. We love him because he first loved us.

God has given every man, woman and child a calling in life. Within that calling He directs us, and through

His Word, strengthens us to live for Him.

The Bible is the inspired Word of God. The Bible is free from all error and contradiction in all that it says.

The Word of God brings us to Jesus our Lord.