AUDIO: Readings & Sermon for Wednesday, May 7, 2025

View the Bulletin for Wednesday, May 7, 2025
Worship Service: 2:00 p.m. with communion
Bible Study: 2:30 p.m. - Book of Malachi (30 min.)
All are welcome, bring a friend, neighbor or relative

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READINGS …

Exodus 24:1-18 
Then he said to Moses, “Come up to the LORD, you and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and worship from afar. Moses alone shall come near to the LORD, but the others shall not come near, and the people shall not come up with him.” 

Moses came and told the people all the words of the LORD and all the rules. And all the people answered with one voice and said, “All the words that the LORD has spoken we will do.” And Moses wrote down all the words of the LORD. He rose early in the morning and built an altar at the foot of the mountain, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel. And he sent young men of the people of Israel, who offered burnt offerings and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen to the LORD. And Moses took half of the blood and put it in basins, and half of the blood he threw against the altar. Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it in the hearing of the people. And they said, “All that the LORD has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient.” And Moses took the blood and threw it on the people and said, “Behold the blood of the covenant that the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words.” 

Then Moses and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel went up, and they saw the God of Israel. There was under his feet as it were a pavement of sapphire stone, like the very heaven for clearness. And he did not lay his hand on the chief men of the people of Israel; they beheld God, and ate and drank. 

The LORD said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain and wait there, that I may give you the tablets of stone, with the law and the commandment, which I have written for their instruction.” So Moses rose with his assistant Joshua, and Moses went up into the mountain of God. And he said to the elders, “Wait here for us until we return to you. And behold, Aaron and Hur are with you. Whoever has a dispute, let him go to them.” 

Then Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. The glory of the LORD dwelt on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. And on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud. Now the appearance of the glory of the LORD was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel. Moses entered the cloud and went up on the mountain. And Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights. 

Luke 5:1-16 
On one occasion, while the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret, and he saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon's, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat. And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.” And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken, and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him. 

While he was in one of the cities, there came a man full of leprosy. And when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and begged him, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.” And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately the leprosy left him. And he charged him to tell no one, but “go and show yourself to the priest, and make an offering for your cleansing, as Moses commanded, for a proof to them.” But now even more the report about him went abroad, and great crowds gathered to hear him and to be healed of their infirmities. But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray. 

The Sacrament of Holy Baptism 
How can water do such great things? 
Certainly not just water, but the word of God in and with the water does these things, along with the faith which trusts this word of God in the water. For without God’s word the water is plain water and no Baptism. But with the word of God it is a Baptism, that is, a life-giving water, rich in grace, and a washing of the new birth in the Holy Spirit, as St. Paul says in Titus, chapter three: “He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by His grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. This is a trustworthy saying.” (Titus 3:5–8) 

Bulletin: Wednesday May 7, 2025

View the Bulletin for Wednesday, May 7, 2025
Worship Service: 2:00 p.m. with communion
Bible Study: 2:30 p.m. - Book of Malachi (30 min.)
All are welcome, bring a friend, neighbor or relative

Visit our YouTube channel — Click the red “subscribe” box, and then click on the “bell” next to that box to receive Live Streaming notifications. You must be logged into YouTube to activate these features.

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Food Bank Sunday: Sunday, May 11th

The May collection for the Bridgeville Area Food Bank is Sunday, May 11th The “items of the month” are condiments, although any non-perishable food items are gladly accepted! Items may be placed in the wicker receptacle in the narthex near the coat rack. 

During the April 19th Easter distribution, the BAFB assisted 107 local families which included 39 children, 71 adults and 84 of the elderly. Your generosity makes this possible … thank you! 

Youth Group: Escape The Rooms

Zion’s Youth Group will be visiting “Escape The Room” on May 18th.
But in order to make this happen, we need people to sign up in advance using Sign-Up Genius.
Check out that link: SIGN UP NOW

We will meet at Escape The Room (1505 E. Carson St., 2nd Floor, Pittsburgh, PA 15203) where we will play the escape room, eat dinner, and have a Bible study. Our youth group funds will cover most of the cost, but anyone who wants to participate will need to pay $20 to cover the rest. Parents are also welcome to play!

About the Escape Rooms…
”The Dig” is a multi-layered game with hidden twists and unexpected turns. With every clue you solve and every secret you reveal, you peel back another layer of the story. Can you solve the mystery and escape?

“The Agency” — You’ve been selected for a top-secret mission. After gathering together you get your top secret assignment. You must complete this mission in one hour or you are relieved of duty. Believe us when we say no international man of mystery wants to be relieved of duty.

Date: Sunday May 18, 2025
Time: 5:45 p.m. - 7:45 p.m. EDT
Cost: $20
Location:1505 E. Carson St., 2nd Floor, Pittsburgh, PA 15203
Created by:  Zion’s Deaconess, Joanna Lee

Pastor’s Corner

“Christ is risen! He is risen indeed, alleluia!” These are the words we start Easter with. Our entire Easter reason is peppered with these words, salted with them so we may never forget. Jesus Christ truly has risen from the dead. Because we have been baptized into Christ, united to Christ through baptism, we will also rise from the dead (Romans 6). It is very right and fitting we shout, “Christ is risen! He is risen indeed, alleluia!” 

We need to say these words. We desperately need to be reminded of the reality of Christ’s resurrection from the dead, because the reality we see around us is so often very different looking. We see our parents die, we see our spouses die, our friends, our family, even our children. We see the cold reality of death staring us in the face all the time. This is why we need the warm reality of the resurrection being shouted into our ears. 

St. Paul understood what Christians like us go through. The church in the city of Thessalonica had Christians who were worried about the resurrection. They saw their loved ones die, just like we do. They saw spouses, friends, and children die as well. Seeing them die was just as hard for them as it is for us. St. Paul wrote to them, and you as well, saying: 

[we do not want you to] grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep . . . For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command . . . and the dead in Christ will rise first . . . so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). 

The reality of death we see around us is hard, it is bitter, it is heartbreaking. But the Easter proclamation “Christ is risen! He is risen indeed, alleluia!” can soften the blow of death, comfort the sadness, and soothe the bitterness of death. We do grieve, but we do not grieve as those without hope. May we shout it out loud and remind ourselves constantly, “Christ is risen! He is risen indeed, alleluia!” 

-- Pastor Grimenstein 

Good Samaritan Endowment Fund

The Giving Spirit
Good Samaritan Endowment Fund -Your Donation can Change Lives

The Good Samaritan Endowment Fund (GSEF) is one of the most compelling and historic cornerstones of Concordia Lutheran Ministries' mission. The GSEF underwrites confidential charitable care for residents and patients in all of Concordia's facilities who have limited financial means. This is an essential part of Concordia's heritage of Christian service toward others and your donation to the GSEF changes lives.

Keith Frndak. President & CEO of Concordia Lutheran Ministries, shared, "This is Concordia's long-term focus for our organization to support those in our care who run out of money. It is the right thing to do."

At Concordia, we are committed to ensuring that no resident is forced to leave our community due to financial hardship. Our GSEF is a lifeline to those in our care at all of our locations who have outlived their savings.

History
Part of Concordia's mission statement is, "To serve those with limited funds to the best of our ability." In the late 1980s, Mr. Frndak and the Concordia Board of Directors had discussions on how to do just that.

Concordia's Statement of Values includes, "Financial Stewardship: Like the parable of the talents in Matthew 25, Concordia aims to be wise stewards of all of our resources, including financial. We manage money with a 'scarce dollar' mentality and are always looking for financial ways to ensure that our mission continues on for generations." As such, Concordia tries to ensure that all residents and patients have sufficient funds for their care upon admission to uphold this value. Aging, though, comes with unpredictable changes. Increased life expectancies, surprise healthcare costs and unexpected emergencies can deplete even the most carefully planned finances.

In the early 1990s, the GSEF was established to cover shortfalls in our residents' and patients' care costs. Concordia was inspired by the Parable of the Good Samaritan found in Luke 10:25-37 for the naming of the fund. In 1993, the GSEF paid its first subsidy.

Today
Over the years, so many generous good Samaritans have donated to the GSEF, which has changed lives. In the last fiscal year, Concordia provided nearly $13 million in benevolent care to nearly 500 Concordia residents. Gifts from loyal donors have helped sustain our organization and enriched the lives of those that God has asked us to serve.

Today, Concordia is called to do more. There is currently a crisis with many senior care facilities having to close their doors, leaving vulnerable residents with no place to go. Recently, we witnessed this firsthand.

After being contacted for help by the Department of Human Services (DHS), Concordia Executive Director of Personal Care Hope Rouda traveled to a local personal care facility that had given a one-day closing notice. Upon arrival, she was shocked to see residents seated in the hallway with their personal belongings in garbage bags lying at their feet. Hope and the team reviewed each resident's file and discussed with Concordia's senior leadership. Concordia accepted five of the displaced residents residents to multiple Concordia locations. It was the right thing to do! Those residents were so thankful to be offered a new home and stability at Concordia. One man even said, "Today, I won the lottery."

No senior should face the fear of losing their home. Every dollar provides care and support to those who need it most. Your investment in the GSEF, no matter the amount, makes a profound difference and changes lives. If you have questions or would like to give toward our GSEF, please call us at the CLM Foundation office at 724-352-8227 or email Giving@ConcordiaLM.org.

VIDEO: Sunday, May 4, 2025 - Complete Service

View the bulletin for Sunday, May 4, 2025
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