REGINA – Grace Lutheran is marking its 100th anniversary with a series of celebrations, marking a century since March 11, 1924, when the saints who have gone on before gathered to sign the first constitution of Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church.  Rev. Arron Gust delivered the anniversary sermon in thankfulness to God. “Friends, Grace has had good times, great times, exceptional times, and she has had her struggles,” he said. “In times of adversity, and in times of prosperity, the Word of the Lord has endured over her. That is the enduring power of God’s Word. That, whether we are struggli ..read more

by David Haberstock How do you identify the true Church? Where can it be found? These are important questions for the sake of a peaceful conscience and assurance in faith. For if you do not know that your congregation is really the “Church” then everything else, including your salvation, comes into question.  Our Lutheran Confessions say this about how to identify the Church: “[The Church] has outward marks so that it can be recognized. These marks are the pure doctrine of the Gospel and the administration of the Sacraments in accordance with the Gospel of Christ” (Ap.VII.5). That beautif ..read more

KELOWNA, B.C. – On Sunday, November 5, 2023, the congregation of First Lutheran Church (FLC) and the community of Kelowna, came together to celebrate Gary Brucker’s retirement from FLC. After 29 years of being on staff holding many titles, most recently Director of Worship, Gary was lovingly promoted to “full-time volunteer”! The 10:00 a.m. Sunday worship service was transformed into a praise-filled celebration of special music and rich relationship. A tribute video, comprised of submissions from some congregation members and his loved ones, had the crowd reliving history, laughing, and cryin ..read more

by Johann Gerhard It is a mark of great favour on the part of God that He desires the godly to approach Him in prayer in a spirit of familiar friendship. He gives us the desire to pray, and likewise makes our prayers effective. Great indeed is the power of prayer, which though it is offered upon earth is effective in heaven. The prayer of a righteous man is the key to the treasury of heaven; the request ascends to heaven, and the answer of pardon and peace descends from God. Prayer is like a shield of safety for believers, quenching all the darts of the adversary (Ephesians 6:16). When Moses ..read more

Lutheran Church–Canada (LCC) will hold its Annual General Meeting online on June 13, 2024.  Additional information on registration and meeting documents will be emailed to individual Members and voting delegates, and will also be included in LCC’s weekly e-newsletter, InfoDigest. To subscribe, visit LCC’s website under News>InfoDigest. ——————— The post Date set for LCC’s Annual General Meeting appeared first on The Canadian Lutheran ..read more

by Marvin Bublitz Thirty-seven years ago, my wife and I spent our honeymoon in the Calgary, Banff, and Jasper area. From the Stampede to Lake Louise to the Columbia Icefields, I have many memories from that trip, including a boat trip. Our guide pointed out the different trees on the shore. She explained that, many years earlier, there had been a forest fire. After a fire, certain types of trees are the first to grow back. Consider the lodgepole pine; their cones need intense heat to open. Only then do the seeds emerge and new growth begins. They also require ample sunlight to grow—something w ..read more

by John Kreutzwieser “Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when He finished, one of His disciples said to Him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.’ And Jesus said to them, ‘When you pray, say:…” (Luke 11:1-2) It was typical during the time of Jesus for rabbis to develop short statements and poetic psalms that would be memorised by their students for daily prayer and reflection. As a first century Jewish child, Jesus grew up with Hebrew poetry and prayers, learned from Scripture (e.g., in the Psalms) and from local rabbis. Hebrew and Aramaic poetry employ a different ..read more

NICARAGUA – In November 2023, 248 children at Vacation Bible School events and 60 women at Advent workshops from six Lutheran Church Synod of Nicaragua (ILSN) churches greeted a 2023 Nicaragua mission team that included five members of Faith Lutheran in Kitchener, Ontario, along with two members from Messiah Lutheran in Waterloo and Concordia Lutheran in Fonthill.  Women from two northern ILSN churches construct wreaths for home devotions. VBS events in Rivas and La Pita began after the weekly worship service. Children and adults enjoyed an opening with their pastor and deaconess follo ..read more

EDMONTON – Concordia Lutheran Seminary (CLS) in Edmonton will host “Saturday at the Sem” on May 4, a special event for people interested in exploring the possibility of serving in ministry. “Curious about a career in ministry?” the seminary asks in an announcement. “Join us for an open house and experience seminary life firsthand!” The seminary has a number of activities planned for the event, which will run from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. “Tour our facilities, attend a chapel service, get a taste of our pastoral and diaconal programs through sample classes, connect with faculty and students, ask ..read more

by Ted Giese Focusing on the second half of Frank Herbert’s 1965 science fiction novel, Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Two chronicles the rise to power of a young prince thought dead. This occurs after the tragic extermination of his father and people by their sworn enemies, House Harkonnen. The extermination took place shortly after House Atreides arrived to replace them as stewards on Arrakis, the planet that oversees the most lucrative and vital resource in the universe, the spice melange. The spice, found only on this desolate planet where it never rains, facilitates space travel, and exten ..read more