Worship Info and Bulletin for August 13, 2023

Worship August 13, 2023 – The 11^th Sunday after Pentecost

The bulletin for this week may be found by looking under "downloads" at the bottom of this post. 

Overview – Silencing the Wind

In a world filled with noise and empty words, God comes to us as stillness and silence, even to the point that wind ceases (Matt. 14:32). Jesus walks over stormy waters to his disciples, entering their boat and being present with them despite their fears and doubts. Today’s readings encourage us to keep our words spare and meaningful, lay aside our little faith with its wordy worries, and listen for God, who comes to us as quieting comfort.

The wind blows us powerfully, frighteningly, making even familiar places seem strange, stirring up the water to obscure our vision and make our journey fearful and slow. Today Jesus comes to us in our drowning panic, responding to our “Lord, save me” with a quick response. The little faith of Peter (and our little faith) is not only a chiding to “do better” in our faith lives and respond with discipline, but it offers forgiveness: even when we risk and screw up anyway, God’s hand is there to reach out and catch us.

To command even the wind to be still is a powerful thing. If a very strong wind suddenly stopped near one of us, we would probably panic, wondering who did it, whether it was the calm eye of a storm, or whether a still bigger tornado is coming. There are giant turbines now that capture the wind to convert it to energy, but Jesus walked out upon the water and helped Peter in his fear to return to the boat’s safety and security. Jesus gives powerful reassurance and the gift of presence. God is not distant from our fears, but close to keep us safe.

How to watch via livestream or on demand:
Join us Sunday mornings at 10am as we broadcast live directly on our website: clcathens.org/live. (Note: If you don’t hear audio, make sure that it is not muted.)  Sign into the chat and participate with others who are watching. 

If you miss the livestream or want to watch something again, you can find the video on our YouTube channel: youtube.com/clcathens and on our Facebook page (facebook.com/clcathens).

Thank you for joining our worship today and thank you for your generosity.  Please know that your financial support for the ministry of Christ Lutheran is greatly appreciated. Consider giving in one of the following ways:

• Mail your Sunday offerings to: Christ Lutheran Church, Attn Wanda Weinberg, 69 Mill St., Athens, OH 45701
• Donate on our website, click on "Give" on the top right and follow through the prompts.