St. John's Lutheran Church, Atlanta

Have you made a plan to vote?
Here at St. John's we encourage everyone to get out and vote!

Special thanks to our Seek, Love, Walk team for reminding us and our neighbors to let their voices be heard!

On Sunday we heard from John and Ellen Yates who shared their story of serving at St. John's for over 40 years and the ways they've seen God's abundance through responding to God's faithfulness with generosity. They also shared a beautiful poem to invite others to prayerfully consider how the Spirit is calling them to open their hands and open their hearts in response. Where have you witnessed God's abundance this week? How are you responding?

For 155 years St. John’s Lutheran Church has been a place of grace and growth for God’s people and has developed a reputation of radical love and hospitality. This legacy of faith and love has been the work of the Spirit, who calls people of faith to follow, creating a safe place of welcome where all are nourished and nurtured in faith.

In Matthew 6, Jesus extends his teaching from the Beatitudes to include tangible ways his disciples can live into their faith, particularly through prayer, fasting, and giving. He reminds the disciples, and all who follow him, that where we invest our time, talent, and treasure, is where our hearts reside. The challenge then is to reorient ourselves so that we are attune to the Spirit’s call to invest our time, talent, and treasure in places that are eternal.

St. John’s legacy is built on following Jesus’ invitation to place our treasure where our heart is and now we must consider how we will continue this legacy of faith and love for the next 5, 15, 50, 150 years. Where is our treasure? What has a hold on our heart? How is the Spirit calling us to reorient ourselves and connect the two?

Pray: O God, we give you thanks for your faithfulness to us individually and as a congregation. Thank you for all the faithful who have answered your call. Grant us the gift of your Spirit for a vision of what you are doing here at St. John’s and the ways that you are calling us to follow you in our time, talent, and treasure. May our lives tell your story and continue the legacy of faith and love. Amen.

Sunday was a day of celebration and joy at St. John's as we commemorated the 508th anniversary of the Reformation and installed Pr. Jennifer Roberts! It was glorious to welcome members, community friends, synod representatives, clergy, honored musicians, and guests. Special thanks to all who served and hosted a beautiful reception! We give God thanks for this new chapter in our congregational life!

📸 Greg Williams (Thank you for these amazing pictures!)

This Friday is the Dia de Los Mu***os concert here at St. John's. It begins at 7:30 PM and will be an evening of beautiful music and remembering loved ones. We can't wait to see you there!

You belong here at St. John's Lutheran! Wear red and join us tomorrow for festival worship! All are welcome!

You're invited to the Installation of Pr. Jennifer this Sunday at 3:30 PM. A reception will follow and we hope you'll come celebrate with our congregation as we embark on this new chapter of ministry!

Our music program at St. John’s continues to grow and flourish. We give thanks for those who use their voice and musical gifts in worship. Stay tuned as we have many seasonal and special musical opportunities coming soon.

Dear members and friends of St. John's,

Over the next 3 weeks our devotion will explore ways that we as individuals, a congregation, and community can nurture our faith, grow in relationship, and serve in intentional ways. Whether you are a member or friend / supporter of the ministry of St. John's, thank you for all that you do. It is our hope that you will prayerfully consider ways you can partner with us in 2025 toward this growing ministry and mission.

God's love and mine,
Pr. Jennifer

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Our key areas of focus for 2025 center on a verse that comes from the Gospel of Matthew, a gospel known for tracing the call and response of Jesus’ disciples from the first moments on the bank of the sea where Jesus says to them, “follow me” (v.18-22) until they are commissioned following the resurrection.

Stewardship and discipleship go hand in hand with one another as the Spirit calls us to consider and respond to God’s faithfulness to us, both individually and as a community. Following Jesus was not easy for the first disciples as they gave up so much of what made them comfortable - vocations, income, stability - and it is not easy now as Jesus’ call remains the same, “follow me.”

As you prayerfully discern your own discipleship, particularly in the ways that the Spirit calls you to “come and follow,” consider how God might be calling you to deepen your faith, expand your understanding, and follow Jesus in new ways in 2025. While this may be difficult, also consider the ways the Spirit has been and will be faithful in this process, guiding you, providing for you, showing you God’s kin-dom in new ways. How might your individual discipleship and obedience to follow Christ, positively affect the congregation of St. John’s and the community where you reside?

Pray: Christ, you call us to follow you, even to places that seem difficult or uncertain. Send us your Spirit to grant us courage to follow and boldness to step out in faith. Lead us to a deeper discipleship with you and one another so that we may know you more intimately and those around us may know your love. Amen.

All kids and grandkids are invited for a special All Saints Kids Club following worship on Sunday, November 3rd. It's going to be a fun time of storytelling, crafting, and lunch and you don't want to miss it! Please email Pr. Jennifer to RSVP or scan the QR code below.

Last night, members of the group, Making Connections from St. John’s, hosted dinner at Grace House (the Lutheran ministry at Georgia Tech). As we gathered we were able to engage with students, listening to their experiences and learning about their studies. Following dinner we enjoyed a beautiful worship service.

Here at St. John's Lutheran, you belong! Join us tomorrow as we explore faith together and worship through music, prayer, Scripture, and Holy Communion. All are welcome!

Tomorrow there is one more opportunity to take part in volunteer orientation for our Winter Freeze Shelter at St. John's. We hope to see you and invite you to take part in this vital ministry opportunity.

You don’t want to miss this concert at St. John’s! It will be beautiful and powerful for everyone! Bring a friend! All are welcome!

WEDNESDAY'S WORD: A MID-WEEK DEVOTION
MARK 10:35-45

In an extensive effort to understand Jesus' words and mission, the disciples in the gospel of Mark begin to consult with one another about what this Messiah's kingdom will look like and who will have what positions. This is a natural move as the Roman Empire, the system they knew best, operated in such a way. The emperor ruled Rome and relied on close confidants to carry out his will so that the empire maintained order and the emperor retained power.

In our gospel this week, the disciples James and John begin to bargain with Jesus, both for clarity and favor. They each asked to be the men on either side of Jesus, one on the left and one on the right when Jesus comes "in his glory." However, Jesus is quick to tell them they do not know what they are asking for.

I wonder if this is often how our understanding of prayer and faith unfolds. In our pursuit of wisdom and obedience, we often ask for or understand things differently than God's will. This is because in our human understanding and self preservation, the system is based on what we know and not the whole picture as God sees it.

Each week at the end of the Eucharistic liturgy we pray, "thy kingdom come" and this prayer is the same as "let my kingdom go." Prayer, study, and action are the ways the Spirit invites us to align our hearts, minds, and spirits to the Holy One. It is an invitation to reorient ourselves to the work of God in and around us in small, vital ways, but it is also an invitation to trust God with the bigger picture - a picture of reconciliation, salvation, and justice.

This week consider:
In what ways does the prayer "thy kingdom come" align with your own understanding of God's activity in the world and your place in it?
How might the prayer "let my kingdom go" change your perspective of God's work in and around you?
How does this change your understanding of power and glory, both for Christ and for you?

PRAY:

Sovereign God, you turn your greatness into goodness for all the peoples of the earth. Shape us into willing servants of your kin-dom, and make us desire always and only your will, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

On Indigenous Peoples’ Day, we honor the people whose lands we walk, whose Indigenous voices have always been spoken here and who share their gifts and contributions throughout our society. We pray that, in our relations with Indigenous neighbors and children of God, we will not waver in our commitment to repentance, reconciliation, healing and unity.

Explore learning opportunities through the ELCA’s Truth & Healing Movement. https://elca.org/truthandhealing

Here at St. John's we welcome all people and celebrate God's image in each person! Join us tomorrow for faith formation and worship, then join us as we celebrate Pride with Atlanta Pride at the parade and with a picnic in Piedmont Park! You belong here!

Winter will be here before we know it and you're invited to serve our neighbors by taking part in our Winter Freeze Shelter. Volunteers are needed to greet, prepare meals, spend the night, and serve in a variety of ways. Make plans to join us tomorrow for a brief orientation.

We can't wait to see you on Sunday at 4:30 for our Pride Picnic in Piedmont Park (hosted by local Lutheran churches)! All are welcome for this celebration so invite a friend, neighbor, or family to join you!

Elections are happening in less than a month and the Southeastern Synod has a page where you can gather information about polling places, ballots, and more!

Please visit: https://www.elca-ses.org/vote

Wednesday's Word

Read: Hebrews 4:12-16

Reflect:
When I was in college one of my good friends worked hard to become a surgery technician, the person who assists a surgeon with tools in surgery. He recalled one instance when the team was working on a heart valve replacement when the surgeon calmly said, “Whoops, I cut the wrong artery.” Understandably, my friend was horrified and concerned, but watched calmly as the surgeon repaired the artery and moved on to the correct portion of the heart.
Surgeons are often modern-day miracle workers, whose dedication to years of study and professional development offer care and healing to the most vulnerable parts of the body. Their meticulous attention (most of the time) to detail promotes healing for bones, organs, and wounds that may otherwise compromise life, or even prove fatal.
In our reading from Hebrews this week, the writer of Hebrews reminds us that God’s Word also has meticulous power, “dividing soul from spirit, joints from marrow” (4:12). Yet, one of the gifts and challenges of the Reformation is that God’s Word is available, not to just trained theologians of the church, but to each person for interpretation, reflection, and use. Perhaps then, the writer of Hebrews not only encourages us to utilize God’s Word but cautions us in our use as well. This is particularly important given the number of people who are often harmed by the Word of God, who have felt their spirit and soul divided, not for healing, but in harm, often unrepairable and catastrophic.
This week as you read God’s Word or when you, or someone you know, utilize it consider:
- What is the center of God’s Word and presence? Is it rooted in judgment and fear or openness and love?
- How are we, as children of God, invited to grow in wisdom in such a way that we use God’s word to heal those around us?
- Who around me needs to know that the Word of God calls them beloved?

Pray: Almighty and ever-living God, we give you thanks for your Word of Life and Grace. Open the Spirit of wisdom through your word, that we may come to know your love more deeply and share it for the healing of the world, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

We can't wait to welcome you tomorrow at St. John's! Join us for faith formation and worship, including a special pet blessing for all God's creatures! If your pet is unable to attend, to-go blessings will be available for you to take with you! All are welcome!