This Week at Mt. Olive

Good evening, fellow redeemed!

In the Old Testament, false prophets had a trite and overused theme: peace and security for Israel. The problem, of course, was that there wasn't peace and security under many of the kings of Israel and Judah because of their kings' idolatrous habits.

These days, the same theme of peace and security are proclaimed by a sort of false prophets, those who proclaim our best life is right now, or that our society and world are constantly improving. If either of those were the case, we wouldn't have obesity, diabetes, and heart disease attacking at earlier ages all the time.

Paul calls us to our senses in today's Epistle (1 Thessalonians 5:1-11). Will this downward spiral ever end? Paul responds, "For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him."

Kind of gives us that feel from the explanation to the seventh petition of the Lord's Prayer in the Small Catechism:
But deliver us from evil.
What does this mean?
We pray in this petition, as in a summary, that our Father in heaven would deliver us from all manner of evil, of body and soul, property and honor, and at last, when our last hour shall come, grant us a blessed end, and graciously take us from this vale of tears to Himself into heaven.

This Week at Mt. Olive:
Tomorrow evening, the Church Council continues its meetings in leading up to the December Voters Meeting. We should have a date for that meeting after tomorrow, and I'll publish it later this week.

Lutheran Book Club will NOT meet this week since we finished the book last week.

Three of Mt. Olive's young people have achieved success in the dramatic arts.
-Trevor Johnson will be appearing in W. B. Ray High School's production of Crimes of the Heart. Performances are scheduled for this Thursday and Friday nights at 7 p.m. Cost of admission is $5.

-Abigail and Sarah Waddle will be appearing in Tuloso-Midway High School's production of Anatomy of Gray. Performances are scheduled for this Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights at 7 p.m. in the Tuloso-Midway Middle School auditorium. Cost of admission is $5.

The youth of Mt. Olive will be attending the Saturday evening performance of Anatomy of Gray. Stay tuned for more information about rides, etc.

This coming Friday, Mt. Olive Lutheran School hosts its annual Thanksgiving Feast for students and their families.

Prayer Concerns:
Those who serve in our armed forces and their families: Rob Vadney (Ft. Campbell, KY)
College students and families who will be traveling over the next couple of weeks - they'll be numerous and we pray for God's divine protection on their journeys
Schools as they prepare for Thanksgiving breaks
Our brothers and sisters in the faith at Lord of Life and Our Savior as they await the Lord's gift of a pastor
The Church Council

This Week at Mt. Olive:
Monday, November 14
6:30 p.m.
Zumba Aerobics

7 p.m.
Church Council

Wednesday, November 16
8:30 a.m.
School Chapel

9:30 a.m.
Bible Study (Revelation 11)

Thursday, November 17
Happy Birthday, Kathy!

Friday, November 18
11 a.m.
School Thanksgiving lunch feast

God bless!
PKJ