DEVOTED: Giving Ourselves to Jesus and Each Other

  •   Sunday September 25, 2022 from 12:00 am - Sunday November 20, 2022 12:00 am

DEVOTED | DEDICADO

Giving Ourselves to Jesus and Each Other | Darnos a Jesus y a los Demas

“And they devoted themselves.” Acts 2:41

Everyone devotes their lives to something: their job, their kids, sports, money, influence, helping others. But in a beautiful picture of the first church from Acts 2:41-47, we see the followers of Jesus devoting their lives to something radical: Jesus and each other. Their response to the love of God in Christ was to dedicate themselves fully to meeting the Lord together in Scripture, at his Communion Table, and in prayer. These ancient practices gave them strength to weather any season, whether in feast or fallow. As we begin this new season of life together—whatever it brings—at City of Light, let’s devote ourselves even more deeply to Jesus and each other.

Sunday Worship Gathering
Sundays, 10am, September 25 - November 20
Bureau Gravity, 56 S. LaSalle
Find Sunday Gathering info here.

SUNDAY SCHEDULE

Devoted:

9/25 To Waiting for Jesus
10/2 To the Church — “and they devoted themselves”
10/9 To the Word — “to the Apostles’s teaching”
10/16 To Prayer — “to the prayers”
10/23 To the Holy Spirit — “and many signs and wonders were being done”
10/30 To the Sacraments — “and to the breaking of bread”
11/6 To Worship — “and awe came upon everyone”
11/13 To Each Other — “and they had all things in common”
11/20 To the Lost — “and those were being added daily to their number”

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Go Deeper

THE 5 'S' CHURCH by Father Trevor McMaken
Listen to Pastor Trevor's hour-long teaching from a diocese retreat on Acts 2:41-47 and our call to be Fully Scriptural, Fully Sacramental, Full of the Spirit, Freely Sacrificing, and Focused on the Salvation of Others.

EARTH FILLED WITH HEAVEN by Father Aaron Damiani
Father Aaron is the pastor of one of our Diocese sister churches, Immanuel Anglican in Chicago. This book looks at the ancient practices of the church and how they can give us strength and resilience for our lives today. Buy a copy here or pick one up on Sunday morning for a suggested donation of $10.

SUMMER READING: LIFE TOGETHER by Bonhoeffer
For the last 4 or 5 years we have had a summer book we have all read together and then discuss in the fall. Our book this summer is the classic, "Life Together" by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Bonhoeffer gives several challenges to us:

  1. The community of the church is a gift from God to be received, cultivated, and given thanks for.
  2. Our life in Christ together is meant to fill every moment of our days and every part of our lives.
  3. Personal spiritual growth and communal spiritual growth are intrinsically linked. We must be intentionally growing in both.
  4. Ministry is primarily humbly serving one another in simple, sacrificial, and unglamourous ways.
City of Light Church Aurora · DEVOTED: Giving Ourselves to Jesus and Each Other

About the Art

Psalm 85

"Each year when the verses from Psalm 85 were read in the liturgical service, I would visualize the poetry of the words, the hope they made me feel about living. The opportunity to hear and read these words each year, to revisit them, refreshes the spirit."

About the Artist

John August Swanson makes his home in Los Angeles, California, where he was born in 1938. His art reflects the strong heritage of storytelling he inherited from his Mexican mother and Swedish father. These include Bible stories and social celebrations such as attending the circus, the concert, and the opera.

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