Hope Lutheran Church

"I look around and see offers of motivation and positive attitude in different forms, books, and places. While there might be some help in them, in many cases what I see can be illustrated this way: someone needs to get from here to downtown Vancouver, but his/her car won’t start. Then this is what they do: they set their car in Neutral and try to find someone to help pushing the car until it gets some speed. He/she covers some yards, and the car stops again. After covering a few yards, the car stops again, and they need another person to push it a little farther. This cycle continues. When the car is moving, they take all the right actions behind the wheel and try to maintain a positive mindset (“I’ll get to Vancouver, and I won’t be angry or exhausted”). And as we know, it’s not too bad going downhill, but when an uphill slope comes, attitude and positive thinking won’t be enough."

“Attitude is (not) everything”, Ephesians 4:17-5:2 / August 11th, 2024 / 12th Sunday after Pentecost / Hope Lutheran Church, Rev. Lucas Andre Albrecht - Hope Lutheran Church Port Coquitlam Text: Ephesians 4:17-5:2 Theme: “Attitude is (not) everything” ___________________________ Intro – The family packed up the car, filled with excitement for camp week, as Mom and Dad were happy for the adventure that their pre-teen son was about to experience. Dad set the map and followed the i...

REDEMPTION

The most precious treasure Jesus offers to mankind can also become the most challenging, awkward or even rejected one: Forgiveness. “How so pastor? I thought everyone craves for forgiveness, and new beginning!” Well, this is how the Bible presents it. But this is not always how the world and our rational mind construes it.

Think about what movies, soap operas and Netflix series present in most of their screenplay plots when it comes to redemption. Somebody fails big time. A massive failure. They cheat, steal, kill... you name it. How does the character usually attains redemption? By doing something. A great sacrifice, an unexpected act of courage or bravery, or even dying in the end. Viewers don’t expect people telling them: "You are forgiven. Try not to do that anymore”. That would be awkward, or even offensive. The humiliation of the redemptive process is preferable to the insult of simply being freely....forgiven.

Not to mention that it would instantly kill 95% of movies, series and the like.

When we acknowledge we failed big time, we may wish God would give us such a redemptive process. Perhaps an act of courage, bravery or even humiliation, so that we could really feel forgiven and redeemed. Forgiveness passively received as a free gift from Jesus may sound too easy, strange, or offensive to our intelligence and capacity, like a shallow movie screenplay. We need the plot to thicken in a redemptive process, which will allow us to feel redeemed before our audience.

The plot HAS thickened. The Son of God came to Earth to suffer and die on a Cross. What was supposed to be the feast of Redemption became the drama of Crucifixion. Jesus is the One who could do something to obtain redemption, and He accomplished it. Not for himself though, but for you and me. In faith we ARE redeemed. Everything we do after that are post-redemptive fruits.

As forgiveness is applied to us, we can apply it to others. Does that mean that when people fail big time, they can be forgiven, and the left off the hook to carry on as if nothing happened? Well, the first part is correct: if they repent sincerely, and trust in Christ’s mercy unconditionally, they are forgiven. That doesn’t mean though that human consequences of that sin will not be addressed, dealt with and be punished when needed, But if someone is really repentant of their sin, small or big, and commit to live their life in Christ, that person will be the first to look for amendment, correction, and restoration.

Forgiveness may be strange, or even offensive. It is. That’s why it can be only received through faith, the gift that gives us our wonderful “The End:” Life. It may not be a life worthy of a Netflix series. But it is a life worthy of God’s own sacrifice, care and love.

(Pastor Lucas Albrecht)

Update: The organizers have apologized to Christians for the act.

Lord, have mercy.

"Gracious and Loving Father,

We thank You for the gift of Your Son, Jesus Christ, who gave us His body and blood in the Holy Supper for the forgiveness of our sins. We are deeply grateful for this sacred meal that forgives our hearts and nourishes our faith.

Lord, in sorrow we witnessed the allusion to the Last Supper during the Opening Ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games, a mockery of the night in which the blessed promise and gift was instituted. However, we are not surprised by it. St. Peter wrote, "Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires." The world cannot see the Son unless guided by the Spirit, and therefore it will always drag its feet against the Gospel.

Lord, we ask that in Your mercy You would touch the hearts of those who participated in this act. Through Your Holy Spirit, open their eyes to the truth of Your Gospel and transform their hearts with Your love. We forgive them in the name of Jesus, and we proclaim the Good News of the Gospel, which offers unconditional forgiveness, transformation, and love to all, including the organizers and the participants of that event.

Strengthen us, Lord, in this ever-shifting world, to stand firm in Your Word and Your promises, so that we will both stand our ground and respond with grace and truth. We want to reflect the blessings and promises that we receive in Your Word and Sacraments, which drag people out of the darkness and draw them into Your marvelous light.

In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen."

**New Members Sunday!

On June 30th, we welcomed 6 new members at Hope. Yvan and Joyce Nolla, and their children Henza, Isaiah and Nathaniel, by profession of faith, and Kasper Seitz, by transfer of membership. It was a great occasion for our family of faith to officially receive them in our fellowship! 🙏💚

The fun has begun! It is Scuba Dive VBS week at Hope! Kids are diving deep into God's love and learning more about Jesus and his love for us!

🌟A Mari Usque Ad Mare" (From Sea to Sea). We celebrate God’s blessings over our great nation, especially, the gift of His Gospel that is available to all.

Happy Canada Day!

The Psalm of the day for this coming Sunday is #30. Have a listen on "Thanks forever", Pastor Lucas' take on that Psalm from 3 years ago.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wvyt0_aHzzA

Thanks Forever - Psalm 30 Song written on the Words of Psalm 30(ESV) for the Sunday Service at Mount Olive Lutheran Church Regina, Canada.The song was recorded on the same day it was ...

Starting the week with a reminder to let our faith shine bright! ✨ Let it be a beacon of hope in the darkness, illuminating the path for others. 🕯️💖

Hey there, church family! When something prevents you from being with us at Church, remember you can always join us online in your LIVE service! 📹🙌 Tune in at 10 AM from anywhere, and we will worship together! 💒🌟

https://www.facebook.com/hopelcspoco/live_videos

Today we had our last Senior's Bible Study before the Summer. We continued our reading and reflections on the Book of Ezekiel, and we closed the moment enjoying some treats together. Also, a heartfelt word of gratitude was shared with our Governance Elder Bruce Forrieter for his godly leadership throughout another year of leading us in this faith-strengthening bi-monthly special program!

Last day of School!

During chapel today, Pastor Lucas led the message, and different year-end awards were presented. At noon, students, family, and staff had barbecue in the parking lot to end another year of God's blessings upon our School on a high note.

Thanks be to God! And we see you all in the Fall! :) 🙏🙏

🏥 Crossing the Finish Line in Faith: The Challenge of Euthanasia in Canada Today

🗣 “The runner staggers and stumbles. Every breath is a lancing fire down his side. He can barely lift his feet high enough to slide them forward. But the finish line is in sight, finally. It’s the end of the gruelling marathon, if he can just keep going a little farther. Then his ankle gives out and he’s on the ground. He struggles to rise only to fall back down again. His body and will are at war, and he cannot help but groan. Then he hears the roar of the crowds lining the road. He looks up with hope but it takes a moment for their words to register through the noise and the shock. “Quit!” they call out. “Just stop!” “You don’t have to suffer this indignity!” “What are you trying to prove?” “I don’t have time to wait here for you finish!” “You can end the race right here, right now.” “Quit! Quit! Quit!”

Ridiculous? Yes. But, sadly, not unthinkable in our day and age. The statistics on euthanasia in Canada are staggering. More than 13,200 Canadians died by assisted su***de in 2022. This is a 31.2 percent increase from 2021 alone. The total number of physician-assisted deaths in Canada sits at nearly 45,000. MAiD (Medical Assistance in Dying) is now the fifth-leading cause of death among all Canadians. In Quebec, euthanasia makes up seven percent of all deaths—the highest in the world. Recently, the government’s proposed loosening of MAiD to include people suffering only from mental distress faced more backlash than expected and was thankfully postponed until 2027. But make no mistake: it is neither gone nor forgotten. It will be back again in some form, and we will have to address the ever-weakening bonds no longer able to protect Canadian lives on their bad days.”

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🍁 Read more: https://www.canadianlutheran.ca/crossing-the-finish-line-in-faith-the-challenge-of-euthanasia-in-canada-today/

Our Hope LWML(Lutheran Women's Missionary League) department hosted a Zumba class last Wednesday evening as part of the fundraising efforts leading up to the LWML-C National Convention in July. Women and man of all ages joined the session to both invest in their health and support Jean Gettle, our delegate for the convention!

Learn more about the Convention: https://lutheranwomen.ca/event/national-convention/

Feeling worried? 😟 Let's remember: In God's Word we find comfort in times of anxiety. 📖💕 So when worries weigh us down, we can always find encouragement in God and in each other. Jesus reminds us not to be anxious about tomorrow. 🙏💫 Trust in His promises!