Christ Lutheran Church - News & Events

Adult Education: The Meaning of Community

9/28/2023

We’re starting a new series for the Fall on the meaning of community. It’s easy to want community, to praise it, to assume we have it. It’s not always to easy to know what exactly we mean by it. When we call ourselves a “community of faith,” what does that mean? We’ll start this five-session topic with a discussion of church words and church spaces, looking at recent articles by Pastor Peter Marty and Pastor Katherine Willis Pershey. Some questions for discussion for Pr. Pershey’s article:

Have you ever learned or thought about church architecture? What effect do you think the physical features of a space have on the church gatherings that take place there?
Specifically, what might a Gothic cathedral building communicate about church, God, and faith? What about a horizontal, Prairie-style building?
Some writers argue that “secularity” is not primarily about people choosing not to attend to church, but rather the way our culture “curbs our capacity to believe in God at all.” Do you agree? Why or why not?
In Pershey’s church, the consultant found that the congregation excelled in hospitality, morale, and conflict management, but scored very low in “spiritual vitality.” How would you describe the spiritual vitality of your faith community? Of your own journey?
Pershey celebrates her own transformation as a gift from God and points to several factors in her growth in addition to learning about modernity: Eugene Peterson’s work, friendships, mental health care, and more. What have been the most significant causes of God’s transformation in your life in the last few years?

Coming up:

October 8: Mission trip report
October 15: The Meaning of Community – Accessibility and Inclusion
October 22: End of Life Care with Pastor Kristen Klade
October 29: What’s Going on in American Christianity? with New York Times national correspondent Ruth Graham
November 5: The Meaning of Community – Constitution Updates
November 12: The Meaning of Community – Building Safety
November 19: The Meaning of Community – Who is Welcome?

Order of St John - Security and Human Rights Issues

9/20/2023

Dear friends and members of the Order of St John, dear members of Christ Lutheran Church,

Texas is a crucial state facing a growing number of immigrants who are looking to enter the United States. The increasing number of immigrants is causing continued political discussions in Texas and the United States. To better understand the underlying reasons for this trend and to better appreciate the humanitarian and security questions related to this development, it will be helpful and enlightening to benefit from insights of a member of the US State Department who has long-standing experience in the analysis and assessment of refugee cases and who is currently based out in Mexico. Migration, human and drug smuggling, the trade in illegal weapons and narcotics, weak rule of law and corruption, decaying infrastructure, and fragile democratic institutions are all issues that beset the border zone of Mexico. These problems have been around for quite some time, but why are they in the news cycle seemingly every day, and what, if anything, can the US government do about it? Is there a solution, or is this issue unresolvable? Why should Americans care about it beyond the obvious security issues?

Please join us for a lecture providing a deeper understanding and inside view of this significant development from the perspective of an expert U.S. Government employee. Details of this event are as follows:

Topic: “Perspectives from the U.S./Mexico border – Perspectives of the U.S. State Department related to security and human rights issues.”
Speaker: Dr. Trygve Has-Ellison, Manager of Fraud Prevention, U.S. State Department in Mexico

Date: October, 20
Time: 06.30 PM
Venue: Christ Lutheran Church
Room 220
3001 Lovers Lane
Dallas, TX 75225

Dr. Trygve Has-Ellison has long-standing experience living and working in Mexico and analyzing questions related to legal and immigration. During his presentation, he will provide his personal views on the situation and what options might exist to improve and manage the current situation in the best possible way. The lecture will be followed by a reception, offering light snacks and drinks. Please RSVP by email, abremer@international-capital.com, with how many attendees you are planning to attend this event.

Kind regards

Andreas K. Bremer, CCIM
International Capital, LLC
President & CEO

Ron Bell and CM3

8/17/2023

Mt. Olive News

7/20/2023

If you enjoy serving others, please join us as we pack and distribute Blessing Bags every Wednesday at Mt. Olive Lutheran Church, 3100 Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard. Dress for work and the weather, and be prepared to make new friends!

9:30 to 11:00 AM Pack Bags
11:00 to 1:00 PM Distribute Bags

For July, we are requesting food donations of Vienna Sausages for the Blessing Bags. Men’s and women’s gently used and new summer clothes, including t-shirts, shorts, pants, socks, shoes, and underwear (new only), are needed now with a special need for men’s clothing and shoes. They may be left in the red wagon in the narthex. Or donations of any amount are always greatly appreciated and can be made online at clcdallas.org or by check/cash to CLC annotated with “Mt. Olive Food Pantry.”

We’ve received a lot of clothing donations recently, which are greatly needed and appreciated. Thanks to our faithful donors for your continued support - you are a very important part of this ministry!

TLU Visit to Christ

7/13/2023

Dr. Debbie Cottrell
President
Texas Lutheran University

Dr. Debbie Cottrell is a native of Dallas, Texas. Before assuming the presidency of TLU in 2019, she served as Vice President for Academic Affairs at TLU for seven years. As president, she has led TLU in creating a new strategic plan that focuses on strengthening the student experience; diversifying academic programs; furthering a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion; enhancing financial stability; and creating strong community partnerships. She has overseen programmatic growth, including the addition of TLU’s first doctorate program, and geographical expansion, including a TLU Nursing program presence in Houston. In the presidency, Dr. Cottrell has drawn on her work as chief academic officer, including in facilities expansion and growth in sponsored research opportunities.

Dr. Cottrell holds a bachelor’s degree from Baylor University and a master’s and Ph.D. in History from the University of Texas at Austin. Before attending graduate school, Dr. Cottrell taught middle school and worked as an editor at the Texas Historical Commission in Austin. After completing her Ph.D., she began her college teaching career at Cottey College in Missouri. She subsequently held administrative positions at Smith College in Massachusetts and William Peace University in North Carolina. Her scholarly interests are in U.S. women’s history and the history of education, along with a distinct appreciation for regional history.

Dr. Cottrell serves on the Board of the Independent Colleges and Universities of Texas and is active in numerous programs of the Council of Independent Colleges, the Network of ELCA Colleges and Universities, and the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference.

Dr. Cottrell is married to a fellow historian, Dr. Alan Cottrell. They have one grown son, Andy, a first-year medical student.

PRAYER MINISTRY

7/13/2023

Jeremiah 29: 12-13
Then you will call upon me and go and pray to me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart.

Prayer Ministry meets every Wednesday in the Sanctuary at 1:00 PM. All are welcome! This midweek time allows us to be together in God’s presence. We share our gratitude and concerns and then read aloud from a prepared bulletin, praying for the church, the world, members of our congregation, individual concerns, our community, and all in need. Then we quiet our minds to meditate and listen to our Father.

The Wednesday time has become an anchor for me, and I look forward to the peace I experience each week.

How you can participate:

Join us any Wednesday at 1:00 PM in the Sanctuary.
Send your prayer requests to Pastor Ben, Sergio, and me, or place your request on the offering plate. Your prayer request will be included in our weekly bulletin.
Please join us from home or whenever possible if you cannot be with us. We will send you the Prayer bulletin by email.

06-18-23 Sermon

6/20/2023

04-11-23 Sermon

6/12/2023

Mt Olive News

6/8/2023

Fair Park neighbors were excited to see the Mt. Olive Blessing Bag Ministry on Wednesday following a month’s leave when over 200 grateful individuals were served lunch bags. Today, Mt. Olive’s Frances Byrd Horn of Plenty Food Pantry continues to provide food and inspiration for those in need. Christ Lutheran, a partner of many decades and many caring volunteers, is making a difference. The pantry served almost 14,000 Blessing Bags (lunch bags) in 2022, and the need continues to grow. Approximately 300 blessing bags are distributed weekly and can be picked up on foot or drive-through.

To become a part of this ministry, please join us on Wednesdays at Mt. Olive Lutheran Church, 3100 Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard, any time between 9:30 AM and 1:00 PM. Dress for work and the weather, and be prepared to make new friends!

9:30 to 11:00 AM Pack Bags
11:00 to 1:00 PM Distribute Bags

Or donations of any amount are always greatly appreciated and can be made online at clcdallas.org or by check/cash to CLC annotated with “Mt. Olive Food Pantry.” There has been an approximate 35% increase in prices, and your generosity helps us deliver tangible help and hope to those who need it most!

For June, we request donations of single-serve fruit juices (Capri-Sun or similar) for the Blessing Bags. They may be left in the red wagon in the narthex.

A special thanks to all of our faithful donors for your continued support – your gifts greatly impact this ministry!

5-14-23 Readings

5/10/2023

READINGS FOR THIS SUNDAY
Acts 17:22-31
Paul’s message to the Athenians
Psalm 66:8-20
Bless our God, you people; let the sound of praise be heard. (Ps. 66:8)
1 Peter 3:13-22
The days of Noah, a sign of baptism
John 14:15-21
Christ, our advocate

OVERVIEW
Not Orphaned

“I will not leave you orphaned,” Jesus promises us in today’s gospel. God is not some ruthless heavenly spectator judging us as on reality television, relishing our failures, wishing to exchange us for a better or more attractive child, no curmudgeonly “Daddy Warbucks” in the sky. Instead, God comes to love us in Jesus, singularly loving and accepting, seeking our trust and promising to be ever-present with us in the Holy Spirit. This Holy Advocate moves us even when we don’t recognize its power, even when it seems “an unknown God” (Acts 17:23). Though we might battle essential loneliness, we have not been abandoned.

Many life experiences can leave us feeling orphaned or abandoned. Family can ease that feeling but also magnify it if our family relationships are strained or if our families live far away. Think of those in your congregation who count deployed soldiers among their loved ones in recent years or construction workers and tradesmen who need to live in hotels far away from their families to keep making money for their families in the current challenging economy. The Internet, webcams, Skype, and social networking can link people across the miles. Still, it can further aggravate loneliness and isolation when these substitute for real intimacy in our highly connected world. How do we experience this loneliness and this longing for home and belonging? How does Jesus’ promise that he will not leave us orphaned speak to these real-life concerns?

When Jesus makes this string of promises in John 14, saying that he will remain with us in the Holy Spirit as our Advocate, it’s hard to envision how this support comes to us sometimes. When we do not see or hear those we love, the simple gifts Jesus offers in body and blood, bread and wine shared with actual warm neighbors, have great power. Even when life keeps delivering bad news about how far apart we are from one another and how broken our relationships are, “I will not leave you orphaned” is the godly reassurance that we are not alone.

Photos used under Creative Commons from ralpe, cookbookman17, gruntzooki, Grey World, Sjoerd_Lammers, andrevanb, Haydn Blackey