Category: General

He Appeared

Sunday, April 4, 2021

THE RESURRECTION OF OUR LORD—EASTER DAY

Christ is risen! It’s hard to imagine someone who was killed on Friday rising to live again on Sunday. It has happened only once and is what we celebrate today: Jesus’ resurrection. Jesus didn’t keep His resurrection a secret. He appeared to many people. He appeared to Mary, to the disciples on the road to Emmaus, to Peter and the apostles, to His brother James, to more than five hundred people, and lastly to the apostle Paul. We believe Jesus rose from the dead because He said He would, because the Scriptures said He would, and because He appeared to many. Today we celebrate Jesus resurrection, His appearance.

READINGS

Old Testament: Isaiah 25:6–9
(The long-awaited Savior will come and make a feast for all nations on His holy mountain.)

Psalm
Psalm 119

Epistle: 1 Corinthians 15:1–11
(Paul delivers to the Corinthians the things of first importance: that Christ died and was raised for our sins.)

Gospel: Mark 16:1–8 (Women come to Jesus’ tomb on Easter morning to anoint Him with spices, but when they arrive, Jesus is not in the tomb.)

PRAYER OF THE DAY

Let us pray. Almighty God the Father, through Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, You have overcome death and opened the gate of everlasting life to us. Grant that we, who celebrate with joy the day of our Lord’s resurrection, may be raised from the death of sin by Your life-giving Spirit; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Who Entered to Suffer and Die

Sunday, March 28, 2021

PALM SUNDAY/ SUNDAY OF THE PASSION

Palms and passion hardly seem to fit together but in Jesus they do. The palms welcomed Jesus to the triumph of suffering that paid the full price of our sin, and the hosannas cried out to Him who exchanged His life for death that we might live. There are no palms and hosannas that do not end in the cross, and there is no passion that does not lead us to faith and to rejoice in what His suffering accomplished. Our Lord came to the cross not as an unwilling victim but as the One who alone surrendered His life into death. We do not come to the Lord under coercion or as people compelled but at the bidding of the Gospel and by the power of the Holy Spirit! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.

READINGS

Old Testament: Zechariah 9:9–12
(The prophet foretells of the humble King.)

Psalm
Psalm 118:19-29

Epistle: Philippians 2:5–11
(Humbled to death on a cross that we might be exulted with Him.)

Gospel: Mark 14:1-15:47 (He humbled himself to the point of death)

PRAYER OF THE DAY

Let us pray. Most merciful God, as the people of Jerusalem, with palms in their hands, gathered to greet Your dearly beloved Son when He came into His Holy City, grant that we may ever hail Him as our King and, when He comes again, may go forth to meet Him with trusting and steadfast hearts and follow Him in the way that leads to eternal life; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen

Dense Disciples

Sunday, March 21, 2021

Fifth Sunday IN LENT

As we draw closer to Holy Week, we may find ourselves dumbfounded by how dense the disciples seem to be! Again and again, they don’t understand just exactly who Jesus is or why He has come. As they travel up to Jerusalem, Jesus can’t be much more explicit about His mission than He is in today’s Gospel. He says, “The Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn Him to death and deliver Him over to the Gentiles. And they will mock Him and spit on Him, and flog Him and kill Him. And after three days He will rise” (Mark 10:33b–34). Despite these specifics provided by Jesus, we see in the days to come that the disciples still don’t get it! But before we are too hard on these followers of Jesus, we examine ourselves and see that we don’t always take Jesus’ words and promises to heart in our own lives. Thanks be to God that Jesus still came, died, and rose for dense disciples like us!

READINGS

Old Testament: Jeremiah 31:31–34
(“I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel.”)

Psalm
Psalm 119:9-16

Epistle: Hebrews 5:1–10
(“The source of eternal salvation to all who obey Him”)

Gospel: Mark 10:35–45
(“The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve.”)

PRAYER OF THE DAY

Let us pray, Almighty God, by Your great goodness mercifully look upon Your people that we may be governed and preserved evermore in body and soul; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.

The Big Two

Sunday, March 14, 2021

Fourth Sunday of LENT

If you were to conduct a survey on a congregation’s favorite passages from Scripture, both today’s Epistle Holy Gospel would likely end up among the most loved, and rightly so. Both of these sets of verses get to the heart of what the faith is all about. They get to heart of what it is that makes Christianity different from all other world religions—things like grace, love, and sacrifice. These big two passages are “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8–9) and “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). These are verses that we should read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest!

READINGS

Old Testament
Numbers 21:4–9 (Moses and the bronze serpent)

Psalm
Psalm 107:1-9

Epistle: Ephesians 2:1–10
(God raised us up with Christ.)

Gospel
John 3:14-21
(The Son of Man must be lifted up.)

PRAYER OF THE DAY

Let us pray, Almighty God, our heavenly Father, Your mercies are new every morning; and though we deserve only punishment, You receive us as Your children and provide for all our needs of body and soul. Grant that we may heartily acknowledge Your merciful goodness, give thanks for all Your benefits, and serve You in willing obedience; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.

The Heavens Declare the Glory of God

Sunday, March 7, 2021

Third Sunday of LENT

Perhaps it was as David gazed into the sky with a sense of wonder and awe that the Holy Spirit inspired him to write the words of today’s Psalm, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims His handiwork” (Psalm 19:1). When we turn our eyes heavenward and see the brightness of the sun, the glow of the moon, or the multitude of stars, we can sense that there is more than meets the eye. Creation reveals that a Creator must be behind this wonderment! God’s Word shows us that creation bears witness to the triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. David is right, “the heavens declare the glory of God.”

READINGS

Old Testament: Exodus 20:1-17 (The Ten Commandments)

Psalm
Psalm 19

Epistle: 1 Corinthians 1:18–31
(“We preach Christ crucified.”)

Gospel: John 2:13–22 (Jesus drives the money-changers from the temple.)

PRAYER OF THE DAY

Let us pray, O God, whose glory it is always to have mercy,
be gracious to all who have gone astray from Your ways and bring them again with penitent hearts and steadfast faith to embrace and hold fast the unchangeable truth of Your Word; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.

Show Me the Love

Sunday, February 28, 2021

SECOND SUNDAY IN LENT

When it comes to human love, it’s fair to say that it comes in different degrees. For instance, even with just a little love for someone, you might be willing to help carry some groceries or get their mail while they’re out of town. But if you have a greater love for someone, you might be open to caring for them when they’re sick or helping them move into a new home. The greatest demonstration of love, however, is to lay down your life for someone else. There’s no greater sacrifice one can make for another. And yet, that’s exactly what Jesus did for us, even though so often we are unloving and unlovable people. “But God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

READINGS

Old Testament Reading:
Genesis 17:1–7, 15–16
(God renames Abram and Sarai.)

Psalm
Psalm 22:23-31

Epistle Reading: Romans 5:1–11
(“We were reconciled to God.”)

Gospel Reading: Mark 8:27–38
(Take up your cross and follow Me.)

COLLECT

Let us pray, O God, You see that of ourselves we have no strength.
By Your mighty power defend us from all adversities that may happen to the body and from all evil thoughts that may assault and hurt the soul;
through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Here Am I

Sunday, February 21, 2021

FIRST SUNDAY IN LENT

“Here am I.” This is the simple, yet faith-filled, response of Abraham as the Lord calls him. Not knowing what the Lord will call him to do, but simply trusting the Word of the Lord, Abraham says, “Here am I.” As we look through the pages of Scripture those same three little words, “Here am I,” are echoed by others: Jacob, Moses, and Samuel—to name just a few. As people who the Lord has called in Baptism, may we also answer with the same faith-filled response, “Here am I!” We may not always know where God will lead, but we do know that the One who has called us will be with us as we follow where He guides.

READINGS

Old Testament Reading: Genesis 22:1–18
(Abraham prepares to offer Isaac as a sacrifice.)

Psalm
Psalm 25:1-10

Epistle Reading: James 1:12–18
(God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone.)

Gospel: Mark 1:9–15 (Jesus is tempted by Satan.)

COLLECT

O Lord, throughout these forty days. You prayed and kept the fast; inspire repentance for our sin, and free us from our past. Amen

ASHES

Sunday, February 17, 2021

ASH WEDNESDAY

The imposition of ashes on Ash Wednesday is a sign of mortality and death. On this first day of Lent, we enter the season with an extended time of repentance and confession of sin. We reflect on Jesus’ holy Passion as we hear the account of His journey to the cross culminating in His suffering and death. We pray that our Lord might bless this time of penitence and reflection as we await His resurrection.

READINGS

Old Testament
Joel 2:12–19 (Return to the Lord.)

Psalm
Psalm 51:1-13

Epistle
2 Corinthians 5:20b–6:10 (Now is the day of salvation.)

Gospel
Matthew 6:1–6, 16–21 (Lenten discipline)

COLLECT

Let us pray. Almighty and everlasting God, You despise nothing You have made and forgive the sins of all who are penitent. Create in us new and contrite hearts that lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness we may receive from You full pardon and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Listen to Him!

Sunday, February 14, 2021

Transfiguration of our lord

Jesus’ disciples were confused. They had seen Jesus perform miracles that only God could do. They watched as He fulfilled the messianic signs promised in the Old Testament. Then He started talking about being glorified, and in the same breath predicted that He would suffer and die. That’s not what they were expecting to hear. When Jesus was transfigured before three of them and they saw the fullness of His glory, the voice of the Father reminded them to “listen to Him” even though He might say some unexpected and even puzzling things. God speaks to us today in our worship, and commands us to do the same: “Listen to Him!”

READINGS

OLD TESTAMENT
2 Kings 2:1-12
(The prophet Elijah is taken up to heaven in a fiery chariot.)

Psalm
Psalm 50:1-6

EPISTLE
2 Corinthians 3:12-13; 4:1-6
(Jesus Christ is the light shining out of the darkness.)

GOSPEL
Mark 9:2-9
(Jesus is revealed in all His glory in front of Peter, James, and John.)

COLLECT

O God, on the mountain of transfiguration You revealed Your glory through Your Son Jesus Christ. Grant, we pray, that we may reflect His glory in our lives, serve and honor You with our words and deeds, and remain faithful to You until the day when we shall see Your glory face to face; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

On Eagles’ Wings

Sunday, February 7, 2021

Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany

Our gracious God remembers His people. When they are downtrodden, He rescues them; when humbled in their sinfulness, He forgives them. He not only lifts us up as on eagle’s wings (Old Testament reading), but using Word and Sacrament, He will resurrect us, lifting us up eternally from sin and death. Today our faith soars!

READINGS

OLD TESTAMENT
Isaiah 40:21-31
(Do you not know? Do you not hear?)

Psalm
Psalm 147:1-11

EPISTLE
1 Corinthians 9:16-27
(I have made myself servant of all)

GOSPEL
Mark 1:29-39
(Jesus heals many and preaches in Galilee.)

COLLECT

Let us pray. O Lord, keep Your family the Church continually in the true faith that, relying on the hope of Your heavenly grace, we may ever be defended by Your mighty power; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.