News and Announcements are published on Friday each week.

Septuagesima

February 1, 2026

Readings: Exodus 17:1-7; 1 Corinthians 9:24-10:5; Matthew 20:1-16 

Hymns: 523, 505 555, 662, 648, 630

Calendar  

Witness

Lutheran Hour Ministries Sunday is this Sunday, Feb 1. Many of us are familiar with the long-running Lutheran Hour radio program (available locally on WGAN 560 AM or 98.5 FM at 5:30 Sunday mornings) and the only Christian float in the Rose Parade.  LHM is much more than those two ministries.  LHM offers daily devotions delivered to you by email, video Bible studies, and many other resources.  They are are free because of friends like us. Visit lhm.org/discoverlhm to find a helpful free resource today!  You can also like them on Facebook. 

Would you love to tell others about our church?  Local newspapers often have worship service listings.  If you know of such a newspaper, let Brenda know and she’ll submit our information.  brenda8198@gmail.com.

Mercy  

If you need anything (rides, supplies, medicine pickups) or any assistance please feel free to contact Sandy or Tom DiPasqua at 207-536-1547 or tjdipasqua@aol.com.  

"The Locker Project" of the Gorham School district is collecting snack items again for the students. Any contribution would be appreciated.  There is a list of suggestions and a box for donations in the narthex.

Saints of Redeemer, the Mercy committee would like to keep a supply of meals for members in need. Meals can be anything freezable, in a disposable container and should feed at least two people. Please bring your meals to church and put them in the fridge freezer. Label your contribution with the contents and how to heat it. Currently we have two families that will benefit from meal donations. 

Life Together 

The coffee hour on Feb. 8th will be a potluck, so please bring a dish to share.  Lenten soup and bread suppers begin on Feb. 25th at 5:00 pm and continue through March 25th.  There is a sign up sheet on the bulletin board downstairs.  The suppers are followed by the Lenten Vespers service at 6:30pm.

Memento is a distinctly Lutheran devotional platform for men.   Memento is built around a 365-day devotional rhythm, shaped by Scripture, prayer, and the Church Year. While the program reaches its most demanding season beginning February 1 with Lent, the devotions themselves continue throughout the entire year as a steady pattern of formation.  We have a program overview PDF, which many pastors and church leaders have requested. This document outlines the structure of Memento, its seasonal flow, and how fraternities function within the program, offering a clear picture for churches seeking to understand how it is being used.  The PDF is available at this LINK.  Audio version built into daily prayer offices are included on our website platform: https://memento70.com/

The winter edition of the NED News is available at this LINK.  A printed copy is posted on the bulletin board downstairs.

Looking for hosts for our coffee hours following service. Sign up on the Fellowship Board near Pastor’s office. This can be one family or several families.  

A Life Thought in the Church Year for February 1 (Epiphany 4): Tragically there are many people who do in fact sacrifice the fruit of their bodies for the sins of their soul (Micah 6:7), killing their own children to undo or cover up the sinful choices they’ve made. How foolish is the so-called “wisdom” of the world (1 Corinthians 1) that calls death life! And though the Lord could rightly bring an indictment against His people for this evil (Micah 6:2), He instead shames the “strong” and “wise” among us by sacrificing His only begotten Son to cover the sins of the entire world (1 Corinthians 1:27-28). In Christ crucified, all who believe will inherit the kingdom of heaven, and those who mourn the wanton destruction of life will be comforted forevermore (Matthew 5:3-4).

A Stewardship Thought for February 1 – (Septuagesima) Matthew 20:9 – “And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius.” Behold the generosity of God! He gives out of His grace, not what we deserve to receive. Living a godly life means living in imitation of God — and surely one of the foundations of God’s being is His generosity.

SANCTIFYING YOUR EXERCISE ROUTINE WITH THE WORD OF GOD… Issues, Etc. is a podcast and radio talk show produced by Lutheran Public Radio in Collinsville, IL and hosted by LCMS Pastor Todd Wilken.  Recent topics include: A Christian View of Leisure, Remember the Sabbath Day, Bioethics for Nurses, The Movie “Knives Out: Wake up Dead Man” and more.  You can listen on-demand at issuesetc.org, Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Apple HomePod, TuneIn, the LPR mobile app and a podcast provider.

Communications

Newsletter Deadline – If you wish to contribute to the MARCH 2026 church newsletter, please email your submission to the church office by FEBRUARY 22. 

All announcements and prayer requests received in the church office by noon on Wednesday will appear in print that week in Friday’s email. If there is an announcement that you would like Pastor to make following Sunday’s FB live stream, please email him that information

Looking Forward to Sexagesima

Readings: Isaiah 55:10-13; 2 Corinthians 11:19-12:9; Luke 8:4-15 

Hymns: 578, 579 587, 583, 427, 580

Sexagesima

February 8, 2026

Readings: Isaiah 55:10-13; 2 Corinthians 11:19-12:9; Luke 8:4-15 

Hymns: 578, 579 587, 583, 427, 580

Calendar 

Witness

It seems everyone has a YouTube channel these days.  You can hear Pastor Strawn’s sermon again on our channel (@redeemerlutheranchurchgorh7792) or be entertained (and educated) by Lutheran Pastor and humorist Hans Fiene’s Irish brothers, Donnall and Conall.  The official LCMS YouTube channel is @TheLCMS .   YouTube is yet another resource available to help share our faith with others.

Would you love to tell others about our church? Local newspapers often have worship service listings.  If you know of such a newspaper, let Brenda know and she’ll submit our information.  brenda8198@gmail.com.

Mercy  

If you need anything (rides, supplies, medicine pickups) or any assistance please feel free to contact Sandy or Tom DiPasqua at 207-536-1547 or tjdipasqua@aol.com.  

"The Locker Project" of the Gorham School district is collecting snack items again for the students. Any contribution would be appreciated.  There is a list of suggestions and a box for donations in the narthex.

Saints of Redeemer, the Mercy committee would like to keep a supply of meals for members in need. Meals can be anything freezable, in a disposable container and should feed at least two people. Please bring your meals to church and put them in the fridge freezer. Label your contribution with the contents and how to heat it. Currently we have two families that will benefit from meal donations. 

Life Together 

The coffee hour on Feb. 8th will be a potluck, so please bring a dish to share.   Ash Wednesday Divine service will be at 6:30 pm.  Lenten soup and bread suppers begin on Feb. 25th at 5:00 pm and continue through March 25th. There is a sign up sheet on the bulletin board downstairs.  The suppers are followed by the Lenten Vespers service at 6:30pm.

Pastor Strawn will be preaching In Waterville on Sunday February 15th.  Deacon John Hutchins will lead the Matins service in Gorham on that day and also a hymn study in place of Pastor’s Bible Study.  Pastor Strawn will lead the Divine Service in Sanford on Saturday February 14th.

Memento is a distinctly Lutheran devotional platform for men.   Memento is built around a 365-day devotional rhythm, shaped by Scripture, prayer, and the Church Year. While the program reaches its most demanding season beginning February 1 with Lent, the devotions themselves continue throughout the entire year as a steady pattern of formation.  We have a program overview PDF, which many pastors and church leaders have requested. This document outlines the structure of Memento, its seasonal flow, and how fraternities function within the program, offering a clear picture for churches seeking to understand how it is being used.  The PDF is available at this LINK.  Audio version built into daily prayer offices are included on our website platform: https://memento70.com/

Looking for hosts for our coffee hours following service. Sign up on the Fellowship Board near Pastor’s office. This can be one family or several families.  

A Life Thought in the Church Year for February 8 (Epiphany 5): “You are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14). God’s people do wonderful things before the world: march for life, support local pregnancy resource centers, speak up on behalf of the unborn and vulnerable. However, we must always remember that we are to shine our light before men, not to earn favor with men or with God. Such self-serving works “will not make your voice be heard on high” (Isaiah 58:4). Instead, knowing Christ crucified and having the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:2, 16), we let our light shine before men to give glory to God (Matthew 5:16), that all might have life now and forever.

A Stewardship Thought for February 8 – Sexagesima -Luke 8:11 – “The seed is the word of God.” It all starts with the Word. “In the beginning…the Word was with God” (John 1:1). “He saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5). “The word of our God will stand forever” (Isaiah 40:8). We never outgrow our need to hear the Word of God. We never achieve such greatness that we don’t need the blessings of God’s Word. Rather, the Christian life is one of always striving to conform our lives to God’s Word by living out the truth of our Baptism: that we are God’s children by the power of His Word.

THE LIGHT OF GOD’S WORD IN A WORLD OF DARKNESS... Issues, Etc. is a podcast and radio talk show produced by Lutheran Public Radio in Collinsville, IL and hosted by LCMS Pastor Todd Wilken.  Recent subjects include: A Christian View of Leisure, Responding to Transgenderism in Light of God’s Word, Jesus as Priest, Faithful Ministry in a Post-Christian Culture, Reducing Theology to Pithy Slogans, Christian Apologetics and more.  You can listen at your convenience at issuesetc.org, Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Apple HomePod, TuneIn, the LPR mobile app and a podcast provider.

Communications

Newsletter Deadline – If you wish to contribute to the MARCH 2026 church newsletter, please email your submission to the church office by FEBRUARY 22. 

All announcements and prayer requests received in the church office by noon on Wednesday will appear in print that week in Friday’s email. If there is an announcement that you would like Pastor to make following Sunday’s FB live stream, please email him that information

Looking Forward to Quinquagesima

Readings: 1 Samuel 16:1-13; 1 Corinthians 13; Luke 18:31-43