Author Archives: Rachel McWhirter

Worship This Weekend: December 3-4

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Worship at Christ the King
Rice Village Campus
2353 Rice Blvd. Houston, TX 77005

Saturday at 6:00 p.m.
Contemplative Worship

Second Sunday of Advent
Lessons and Carols at Christ the King Rice Village Campus

We light the second candle of Advent on Sunday, December 4 at 8:30 and 11:00 a.m. 

Sunday at 8:30 a.m.
Brief Order of Holy Communion

Sunday at 11:00 a.m.
Holy Communion
in-person and livestreamed

You may view archived worship services and more via Facebook or YouTube.

11a.m. Worship Bulletin | Taking Faith Home December 4

Worship at Christ the King
West Campus
12211 Memorial Dr, Houston, TX 77024

Sunday at 10:30 a.m.
Holy Communion

Christ the King Lutheran Church thanks you for your generous financial support. Offerings may be mailed to the church office, 2353 Rice Blvd, Houston, TX 77005, or online.

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Celebrating and Giving Thanks for Deacon and Cantor Rick Erickson by Gretchen Miertschin

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When Rick Erickson started piano lessons at age 10 he told his teacher that he wanted to learn to play the organ, and he wanted her to prepare him. Apparently, she did—and very well at that. His mother and paternal grandmother were church organists, and his family included many other musicians as well as pastors. He knew early on that he wanted to follow their paths.

And, in fact, Rick’s whole career has been spent as a church organist. While teaching at Eastman School of Music, he was organist at Lutheran Church of Incarnate Word in Rochester, New York, for 14 years; then he spent 20 years at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Manhattan; and for the last eight and a half years he’s been at Christ the King Church.

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Advent and Christmas Schedule 2022

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UPCOMING ADVENT AND CHRISTMAS SCHEDULE
Rice Village Campus 

 Wednesday, December 7
6:30 pm Advent Vespers (Livestream link)

Saturday, December 10
3:00 pm Bach Society’s Christmas Oratorio (at Rice University)
Buy Tickets Online Here
6:00 pm Contemplative Worship 

THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT December 11
8:30 am Brief Order of Holy Communion
9:30 am Faith Formation (Sunday Forum Zoom Link)
11:00 am Holy Communion: La Virgen de Guadalupe
12:30 pm Annual Meeting, Part 1 

Wednesday, December 14
6:30 pm Advent Vespers

Sat-Sun, Dec. 17-18
9:00 am-6:00 pm Creche Festival

Saturday, December 17
6:00 pm Caroling, Brass & Bonfire 

FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT December 18
8:30 am Brief Order of Holy Communion
9:30 am Faith Formation: Las Posadas & Waffle Cafe
11:00 am Holy Communion 

 Wednesday, December 21
 6:30 pm The Longest Night Service  

CHRISTMAS EVE December 24
4:00 pm Weihnachtsmesse, German worship
6:00 pm Festive Holy Communion
8:00 pm Misa de la Navidad, Spanish worship
10:00 pm Festive Holy Communion (with incense) 

CHRISTMAS DAY December 25
11:00 am Holy Communion with Christmas Carols  

NAME OF JESUS January 1
11:00 am Holy Communion
6:00 pm New Year’s Day Organ Concert 

 Saturday, January 7
6:00 pm Contemplative Epiphany Worship 

EPIPHANY AND BAPTISM OF OUR LORD January 8
8:30 am Brief Order of Communion
9:30 am Faith Formation (Sunday Forum Zoom Link)
11:00 am Holy Communion: Blessing of the Nave

 

WEST VILLAGE CAMPUS

10:30 am December 4, 18
Holy Communion (11th at Rice Campus)

4:00 pm December 24
Christmas Eve Festive Worship

10:30 am December 25
Christmas Day Holy Communion

Ways to spiritually stay awake and expectant during the Advent season:

  • Now in Flesh Appearing…: An Illustrated DevotionalThis Advent Devotional explores how the Advent story is about God taking on a physical body like ours. As you wait with anticipation and prepare for baby Jesus to be born this Advent season, we invite you to discover the awesomeness of incarnation and what it means for God to move, act, and live with us. We hope this Advent devotional will help you share in conversation about how God came to be human and live among us.
  • Taking Faith Home (Week 3)Nurture your faith with weekly devotions containing a variety of faith-building activities, allowing you to pick and choose what is most beneficial to you and your family and friends.

Invitation to Advent Sermon

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Invitation to Advent. Series A. 11.27.2022. Rev. Rodriguez 1

Stir up your power, O Lord, and come. Protect us by your strength and save Us from the threatening dangers of our sins, for you live and reign with the Father, and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

With this ancient collect of our tradition, I welcome you to the season of anticipation. The kind of anticipation one has after hearing that your beloved daughter, wife, mother or relative is in labor. When shall the child be born? About that day and hour, the only thing we know is that we do not know. Advent grants us the opportunity to internalize a kind of vigilance we have when protecting our homes, apartments or person from those who would wish us or do us harm. Yet, the Advent we intend to keep sets our hearts and minds to receive God’s perfect reign on earth. To this end, I too urge you to keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. Unexpected and mysterious is the arrival of God’s reign in our hearts.

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