Gathering Place - Lutheran Ministries

08/31/2026

Message from Vicar Tou Pao Lee

"She said, 'Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table.' Then Jesus answered her, 'O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.' And her daughter was healed instantly." Matthew 15:25, 28 (ESV)

FAITH THAT CLINGS TO JESUS

There are times in life when we hit a brick wall, unable to fix things. That is where this Canaanite woman was. Her daughter was suffering, and she could not save her by her own strength. So, she came to Jesus and cried out for mercy.

What stands out is that this woman was a Gentile, outside the house of Israel, yet she came confessing Jesus as "Lord" and "Son of David." That faith did not come from her own strength. Scripture says, "Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ" (Romans 10:17). It is through the Word and Sacraments that the Holy Spirit works faith. Her faith, like ours, was God's gift.

Then Jesus says, "It is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs." She does not argue or claim that she deserves anything. She answers, "Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table."

That is where we see her faith. She accepts Jesus' Word, claims no worthiness of her own, and trusts that His mercy is enough. Jesus responds to her faith, "O woman, great is your faith!" After this response, her daughter was instantly healed.

The miracle was not in how strongly she believed. The power was in Christ. Her God-given faith simply clung to the One who was able and willing to show mercy.
That is our comfort too. We do not come before God because we are worthy. We come because Christ is merciful.

So, when life feels heavy and God seems silent, we cling to the promise. We do not look inward and ask whether our faith is great enough. We look to Christ. Our hope is not in the greatness of our faith, but in the greatness of the Savior.

Even the crumbs of His mercy are more than enough.

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

08/12/2026

Message from Vicar Tou Pao Lee

“When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick… And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over.” Matthew 14:14, 20 (ESV)

THE COMPASSION THAT PROVIDES

In this Gospel, Jesus had withdrawn to a quiet place to mourn after hearing of John the Baptist's death. But the crowd had seen Jesus in a boat, so they followed Him ashore. Upon meeting the crowd, Jesus does not view it as an interruption. He sees their suffering and has compassion for them. Instead of denying them, Jesus welcomed them and healed the sick, comforted the tired, and preached to those who needed to hear.

But later in the day, an evening came, and a problem arose as the day grew late: the disciples saw thousands of hungry people; it is said there were 5,000 men, besides women and children. The disciples had only five loaves and two fish. They look at what is in their hands and turn the people away because they did not have enough. Because they lacked the power to feed thousands of hungry people. They were helpless, so they wanted to send people away to feed themselves. Like the disciples, we often do the same when we face a problem we cannot solve. We look at our limited strength, patience, wisdom, money, health, and faith, and in our helplessness, we only think of ourselves, and because of our inability, we choose to avoid the problems.

But Jesus teaches us to look beyond what we can do with our hands, beyond the challenges we face, and to open our eyes and see whose hands we are in. Jesus wants us to look at who is standing before us. Jesus is speaking to us as he spoke to His disciples. His words in this gospel also speak to our inability to overcome our challenging troubles: He speaks, "Give it to me." Look at who is in front of us. Whose hand are we in? Jesus. Have faith in Him when we are helpless. Just as the disciples were helpless to feed the thousands, He took the small amount of food, blessed it, and performed a miracle of abundance of food. Everyone eats and is satisfied. The disciples do not create bread. They cannot create a miracle. They simply receive from Jesus and distribute what He provides.

This miracle shows us the compassionate heart of Christ. He knows our needs, and His compassion moves Him to act. Yet our deepest need is greater than the need for food for nourishment. We need the food of forgiveness, peace with God, and rescue from sin and death. And only Jesus can provide this gift that we could not gain or earn by our strength. It was the gift of God; He sent His son to die for our salvation. And he did so by giving His own body on the cross and shedding His blood for us. On the night before His death, he broke bread and gave us wine. Bread, the body of Christ, given into death for us, and Wine, the blood of Christ, given for the forgiveness of our sins. Upon receiving this, we share in the righteousness of Christ's death, and in His resurrection, we receive eternal life.

So, when life leaves you feeling empty or asking, "Lord, how am I going to make it?" Remember, as children of God, we do not place our hope in what we possess. Look up at who is in front of us. Look at whose hand we are in. His mercy is never exhausted. His forgiveness never runs out. Through His Word and Sacraments, He continues to feed, forgive, and strengthen His people. Our hope is not found in what is in our hands, but in the hands of Jesus—the compassionate Savior.

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

08/05/2026

Come join us!!

Save the date! We are having a joint picnic with Cornerstone and Gathering Place.

07/28/2026

Message from Vicar Tou Pao Lee

“The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels.” Matthew 13:37–39 (ESV)

THE LORD OF THE HARVEST

In this parable, Jesus explains why evil and suffering persist in the world. When we see violence, injustice, sickness, and brokenness, we may wonder whether God is still in control. But Jesus assures us that the field still belongs to Him.

The Son of Man has sown good seed, but the enemy has also sown weeds. Until Christ returns, wheat and weeds will grow together. The devil may oppose Christ's work, but he does not own the field, and he will not have the final word.

This parable also warns us not to take the place of the Judge. We cannot see every heart, and we do not know all that the Lord is doing. We are often quick to condemn others while overlooking the sin within ourselves. The harvest belongs to Christ, and He alone judges rightly.

The coming harvest is serious because God's judgment is real. Yet those who belong to Christ do not fear the end of the age. Because before Jesus returns as Judge, He first came as our Savior. He carried our sins to the cross, suffered the judgment we deserved, and rose again so that we might be forgiven and made righteous through faith in Him.

So, when evil surrounds us, do not lose heart. He who rules His field will preserve His people, and works through His Word and Sacraments. When the harvest comes, every evil will end, the Weeds will be pulled out, bundled and thrown into a fiery pit, and all good Wheat who belong to Christ will “shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.” Amen

06/18/2026

Message from Vicar Tou Pao Lee

“As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And he rose and followed him. And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, ‘Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?’ But when he heard it, he said, ‘Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means: “I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.” For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.’” Matthew 9:9–13 (ESV)

JESUS THE PHYSICIAN

In Matthew 9:9-13, Jesus calls Matthew, a tax collector, to follow Him. This was surprising because tax collectors were despised and looked down upon by others. Yet Jesus does not avoid Matthew or turn away from him. Instead, He calls him. Then Jesus sits at the table with tax collectors and sinners, eating and conversing with them. This is God showing grace and mercy to sinners who are spiritually sick and in need of His healing.

That is why Jesus says, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.” Jesus is not saying that some people are truly righteous before God and others are not. Rather, He is exposing those who imagine themselves righteous and in no need of repentance. He came not for those who trust in their own self-righteousness, but for sinners who recognize their need for His mercy. He came for the guilty, the broken, the ashamed, and the needy. He came for Matthew, and thanks be to God, He came for us.

These words of Jesus also expose our hearts. Like the Pharisees, we often focus on the sins of others while overlooking our own. Yet like Matthew and the other sinners at the table, we ourselves stand in need of God's mercy. We are both sinners and judgmental. We fail to see how deeply we ourselves need God's mercy. That is the danger of self-righteousness. It not only looks down on others, but it also refuses to admit its own need for the Savior.

Thanks be to God. He sent His Son to save us. Jesus, the great Physician, came for the sick—tax collectors, sinners, and us. He came to heal us through the forgiveness of sins, to restore us to fellowship with God, and to make us His own. And He does this not by overlooking our sins, but by bearing them. He went to the cross for us, where He took our sin upon Himself and won our forgiveness by His holy and precious blood. Our standing before God does not rest on our worthiness, our efforts, or our works. Our salvation rests on Christ alone, our Physician and Redeemer.

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

05/28/2026

Happy Last Thursday of May!
Here is a message from Pastor Yia Lor!!

Lub Neej Nqhis Dej
Yauhas 7:37–39

Thov Vajtswv Leej Txiv thiab peb tus Tswv Yexus Khetos pub txoj kev tshav ntuj, kev hlub, thiab kev thaj yeeb rau nej. Amees.

Yexus sawv hauv lub Tuamtsev thiab qw nrov hais tias, “Yog leejtwg nqhis dej, cia nws los cuag Kuv thiab haus.”

Thaum peb pib nqhis dej lawm, peb lub cev twb qhuav dej lawm. Kev nqhis yog ib qho qhia tias peb xav tau yam uas yuav cawm tau peb txoj sia. Tiamsis tsis yog txhua yam dej yeej zoo rau peb lub cev. Muaj tej yam dej uas tsuas ua kom peb mob ntxiv xwb. Pivtxwv, dej daw ntsev ces yim haus yim yuav ua rau koj haj yam nqhis dej tuaj.

Peb sab ntsujplig kuj zoo ib yam li ntawd thiab.

Neeg ntshaw kev muaj nqis, kev hlub, kev zoo siab, kev thaj yeeb, thiab txoj sia. Kom txaus siab rau lawv lub siab nqhis, ntau tus tig mus nrhiav nyiaj txiag, haujlwm, kev lomzem, kev ntshaw, lossis kev sib raug zoo. Tej ntawd tej zaum zoo li vuag xwb, tabsis thaum kawg tseem ua rau tus neeg tshaib nqhis dua qub. Zoo ib yam li haus dej daws ntsev – nws pab tsis tau rau koj tus ntsujplig. Koj nev, koj nqhis dabtsis nyob hauv koj lub neej?

Yexus hais tias: “Los cuag Kuv thiab haus.”

Xh. Povlauj qhia tias lub pob zeb uas dej txhawv ntws tawm los yog Khetos (1 Kauleethaus 10:4). Yexus tib leeg xwb thiaj pub tau “dej ciaj sia” — yog Vaj Ntsujplig Dawbhuv — uas coj kev zam txim, kev ntseeg, thiab txojsia los rau peb.

Yexus twb muab dej ciaj sia no rau tus pojniam Xamalis ntawm lub qhovdej lawm thiab. Nws tau nrhiav kev hlub thiab kev lees paub nyob ntau qhov chaw, tabsis nws tseem nqhis. Yexus tsis ntiab nws, tabsis Yexus zam txim rau nws, pub txoj sia tshiab rau nws, thiab hloov nws lub neej.

Niaj hnub no peb tseem xav tau dej ciaj sia ntawd thiab. Yog tsis muaj Khetos, peb sab ntsujplig yuav qhuav dej — peb yuav tsis txaus siab, yuav tshawb nrhiav tas li, thiab xav tau yam uas lub ntiajteb no muab tsis tau. Tiamsis Yexus tseem caw peb niaj hnub no tias: “Yog leejtwg nqhis dej, cia nws los cuag Kuv thiab haus.”
Los ntawm Nws Txojlus, kev zam txim, Kev Cai Raus Dej, thiab Rooj Mov Dawbhuv, Yexus pub dej ciaj sia uas txaus siab rau peb tus ntsujplig. Nws pub txoj sia rau peb tam sim no thiab mus ib txhis.

Qhov no tsis yog lus dag. Yexus twb qhia tias yog qhov tseeb lawm thaum Nws sawv hauv qhov tuag rov los. Lub ntxa khoob lawm. Khetos muaj txoj sia nyob. Dej ciaj sia uas Nws pub yog qhov tseeb.

Yog li ntawd, cia li los haus. Khetos tib leeg xwb thiaj txaus siab rau tus ntsujplig nqhis dej. Khetos tib leeg xwb thiaj pub tau txoj sia uas nyob ib txhiab ib txhis.

Thov kom Vajtswv foom koob hmoov rau koj. Amees.

05/20/2026

Youth and Young Adult Fellowship Night!

May's Youth and Young Adult Fellowship Night has been moved to June 14th, 2026!! Please come Join Us!!

Please reach out to Vicar Tub Lis, Leviticus Vang or Isaiah Lor with questions!

05/14/2026

Our GPLM Youth and Young Adults had an amazing time at the Phil Wickham concert last night at the Target Center, worshiping and praising God while spending quality time together. God is Good! 💙🙏 Thank you to our amazing leaders, Jannie Vang and Bobby Vang for coordinating this event!!

05/11/2026

Dear Gathering Place – Lutheran Ministries family,
I would like to personally invite my GPLM family and friends to join Jehovah Lutheran Church for the Ascension Service on Thursday, May 14, 2026, at 6:30 PM, at 1566 Thomas Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104. This will be a special time for the congregations and members of the St. Paul Metro Circuit to gather together in worship and fellowship as we celebrate our Lord's Ascension.
The Ascension of our Lord reminds us that Jesus is not absent from His Church. He reigns at the right hand of the Father, intercedes for us, and continues to bless His people through His Word and Sacraments. I encourage our GPLM members to come and worship together with our brothers and sisters in Christ. After the Divine Service, there will be hors d’oeuvres and desserts, and everyone is invited to bring a dish to share.
-Vicar Tou Lee