The Lover of Dust

Verse for the week: “Bless the Lord, O my soul,
    and all that is within me,
    bless his holy name!”  Psalm 103.1

Prayer for the week: Dear Father, by your gracious choosing I am indeed your child and you are truly my Father, so I call on you now with complete confidence, through your Son, Jesus Christ, the Lord. Amen.

Bible reading for the day: Psalm 103.1-14

 ¹ Bless the Lord, O my soul,
    and all that is within me,
    bless his holy name!
² Bless the Lord, O my soul,
    and forget not all his benefits,
³ who forgives all your iniquity,
    who heals all your diseases,
⁴ who redeems your life from the pit,
    who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
⁵ who satisfies you with good
    so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

⁶ The Lord works righteousness
    and justice for all who are oppressed.
⁷ He made known his ways to Moses,
    his acts to the people of Israel.
⁸ The Lord is merciful and gracious,
    slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
⁹ He will not always chide,
    nor will he keep his anger forever.
¹⁰ He does not deal with us according to our sins,
    nor repay us according to our iniquities.
¹¹ For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
    so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
¹² as far as the east is from the west,
    so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
¹³ As a father shows compassion to his children,
    so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.
¹⁴ For he knows our frame;
    he remembers that we are dust.

 Prayer of the Day: Gracious and almighty Father, I and your church are only dust and you are gracious and merciful. In Christ you remove our sins from us as far as the east is from the west; thank you! Until we return to dust, keep up your steadfast, gracious work on us that – remembering all your benefits to us – we may fear, love and trust you above all else; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Hymn: follow this link to a beloved classic that gives further voice to today’s conversation with the Lord: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMf69QqS5r0&ab_channel=MartijndeGroot

“I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son…”

What does this mean? I believe that Jesus Christ – true God, Son of the Father from eternity, and true man, born of the virgin Mary – is my Lord.

At great cost he has saved and redeemed me, a lost and condemned person. He has freed me from, sin, death, and the power of the devil – not with silver and gold, but with his holy and precious blood and his innocent suffering and death.

All this he has done that I may be his own, live under him in his kingdom, and serve him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, just as he is risen from the dead and lives and rules eternally.

This is most certainly true. (from The Small Catechism, by Martin Luther)

Benediction: For the Lord takes pleasure in his people;
    he adorns the humble with salvation.   Psalm 149.4

 

*This is now our congregation’s 99^th year in the Word. In 2025, we are reading from Genesis to Revelation, with a few interludes along the way.

 

Absolution for your unclean lips

Verse for the week: “The heavens declare the glory of God,
    and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
² Day to day pours out speech,
    and night to night reveals knowledge.”  Psalm 19.1-2

Prayer for the week: Lord, your law is perfect and pure, and Christ alone is the fulfillment of it. Conform me and your whole church to his image, through the same Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord. Amen.

Bible reading for the day: Isaiah 6.1-7 More than 700 years before Christ, Isaiah confesses the truth about our lips.

¹In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. ² Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. ³ And one called to another and said:

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory!”

⁴ And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. ⁵ And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”

⁶ Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. ⁷ And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.”

Prayer of the Day: Gracious and almighty Father, what hope for me, a man of unclean lips among a whole race of unclean lips? Ahhh, the burning, purifying touch of Christ’s promise to me: “Your guilt is taken away, your sin atoned for… by me.” Thank you, Father. Now send me and ride me in his name, amen.

Hymn: follow this link to a beloved classic that gives further voice to today’s conversation with the Lord: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mLa0Z2YM4U&ab_channel=AndrewRemillard

What is the “office of the keys”?

It is that authority which Christ gave to his church to forgive the sins of those who repent and to declare to those who do not repent that their sins are not forgiven.

Our Lord Jesus Christ said to his disciples: “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” John 20.23

And: “Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”  Matthew 18.18   (from The Small Catechism, by Martin Luther)

Benediction: For the Lord takes pleasure in his people;
    he adorns the humble with salvation.   Psalm 149.4

 

*This is now our congregation’s 99^th year in the Word. In 2025, we are reading from Genesis to Revelation, with a few interludes along the way.

 

What your tongue is for

 ...the forgiving and retaining of sin.

Verse for the week: “The heavens declare the glory of God,
    and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
² Day to day pours out speech,
    and night to night reveals knowledge.”  Psalm 19.1-2

Prayer for the week: Lord, your law is perfect and pure, and Christ alone is the fulfillment of it. Conform me and your whole church to his image, through the same Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord. Amen.

Bible reading for the day: John 20.19-23  On the day of his resurrection, Jesus walks right in through locked doors to free his disciples from themselves and give them the whole purpose for their tongues.

On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” ²⁰ When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. ²¹ Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” ²² And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. ²³ If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”

 Prayer of the Day: Gracious and almighty Father, thank you:

For not allowing our fears to lock you out…

For the peace that is ours only in Christ crucified and raised for our forgiveness…

For the given yet not commoditized gift of your Holy Spirit.

My tongue is not for my incendiary use; it is for your purpose: the forgiving and binding of sin. So Lord, keep walking in on me and your whole church and sending us out for your purpose. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

Hymn: follow this link to a beloved classic that gives further voice to today’s conversation with the Lord: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mLa0Z2YM4U&ab_channel=AndrewRemillard

What is the “office of the keys”?

It is that authority which Christ gave to his church to forgive the sins of those who repent and to declare to those who do not repent that their sins are not forgiven.

Our Lord Jesus Christ said to his disciples: “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” John 20.23

And: “Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”  Matthew 18.18   (from The Small Catechism, by Martin Luther)

Benediction: For the Lord takes pleasure in his people;
    he adorns the humble with salvation.   Psalm 149.4

 

*This is now our congregation’s 99^th year in the Word. In 2025, we are reading from Genesis to Revelation, with a few interludes along the way.

 

 

Day to day and night to night...

...the Lord is speaking to you.

Verse for the week: “The heavens declare the glory of God,
    and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
² Day to day pours out speech,
    and night to night reveals knowledge.”  Psalm 19.1-2

Prayer for the week: Lord, your law is perfect and pure, and Christ alone is the fulfillment of it. Conform me and your whole church to his image, through the same Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord. Amen.

Bible reading for the day: Psalm 19  (In the first half of this psalm, v.1-6, the psalmist confesses that the heavens speak, they pour forth Yahweh’s glory and handiwork. Nine verbs and nouns in the first four verses declare this. In the second half of this psalm, v.7-14, it’s not the heavens that do the talking, but the Lord’s law, his commandments... his recorded testimony. By the act of his speaking, the Lord creates and wields death and new life for us. The cosmos celebrates God’s glory but does not teach his will.)

 ¹ The heavens declare the glory of God,
    and the sky above[1] proclaims his handiwork.
² Day to day pours out speech,
    and night to night reveals knowledge.
³ There is no speech, nor are there words,
    whose voice is not heard.
⁴ Their voice goes out through all the earth,
    and their words to the end of the world.
In them he has set a tent for the sun,
⁵     which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber,
    and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy.
⁶ Its rising is from the end of the heavens,
    and its circuit to the end of them,
    and there is nothing hidden from its heat.

⁷ The law of the Lord is perfect,
    reviving the soul;
the testimony of the Lord is sure,
    making wise the simple;
⁸ the precepts of the Lord are right,
    rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the Lord is pure,
    enlightening the eyes;
⁹ the fear of the Lord is clean,
    enduring forever;
the rules of the Lord are true,
    and righteous altogether.
¹⁰ More to be desired are they than gold,
    even much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey
    and drippings of the honeycomb.
¹¹ Moreover, by them is your servant warned;
    in keeping them there is great reward.

¹² Who can discern his errors?
    Declare me innocent from hidden faults.
¹³ Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins;
    let them not have dominion over me!
Then I shall be blameless,
    and innocent of great transgression.

¹⁴ Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
    be acceptable in your sight,
    O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

 Prayer of the Day: Gracious and almighty Father, your living Word is perfect and cannot be silenced nor hindered any more than one can hinder the course of the sun. In Christ alone your law is fulfilled, and I am rendered blameless… this guilty one is pardoned. Thank you. Day to day and night to night, have at me Lord… that the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart may be acceptable in your sight. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

Hymn: here’s a fun children’s song that gives further voice to today’s conversation with the Lord: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klKyQCZ5VIM&ab_channel=MartijndeGroot

“I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son…”

What does this mean? I believe that Jesus Christ – true God, Son of the Father from eternity, and true man, born of the virgin Mary – is my Lord.

At great cost he has saved and redeemed me, a lost and condemned person. He has freed me from, sin, death, and the power of the devil – not with silver and gold, but with his holy and precious blood and his innocent suffering and death.

All this he has done that I may be his own, live under him in his kingdom, and serve him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, just as he is risen from the dead and lives and rules eternally.

This is most certainly true. (from The Small Catechism, by Martin Luther)

Benediction: For the Lord takes pleasure in his people;
    he adorns the humble with salvation.   Psalm 149.4

 

*This is now our congregation’s 99^th year in the Word. In 2025, we are reading from Genesis to Revelation, with a few interludes along the way.

 

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[1] Or the expanse, compare Gen 1.6-8 

Your Most Incendiary Member

Verse for the week: “The heavens declare the glory of God,
    and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
² Day to day pours out speech,
    and night to night reveals knowledge.”  Psalm 19.1-2

Prayer for the week: Lord, your law is perfect and pure, and Christ alone is the fulfillment of it. Conform me and your whole church to his image, through the same Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord. Amen.

Bible reading for the day: James 3.1-12  (Early tradition attributes this letter to the Lord’s brother, James, a leader in the Jerusalem church (Mark 6.3, Acts 15); however, it must also be acknowledged that many scholars dispute this. “James” was a very common name among first century Jews and Christians. In any case, this canonical book of the New Testament joins the other epistles in upholding God’s perfect law and exposing our sin.)

 ¹ Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. ² For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. ³ If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. ⁴ Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. ⁵ So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things.

How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! ⁶ And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. ⁷ For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, ⁸ but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. ⁹ With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. ¹⁰ From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers and sisters these things ought not to be so. ¹¹ Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? ¹² Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.

 Prayer of the Day: Gracious and almighty Father, thank you for Christ crucified for every part of me: head, heart, and that most incendiary member, my tongue. Each day, each hour, conform all of me – including my tongue – to Christ’s image. Put my old self and tongue to death… and give me new ones like his. Saddle me and bridle me for your use alone, in Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

Hymn: here’s a fun children’s song that gives further voice to today’s conversation with the Lord: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHtTOrg9hwo&ab_channel=SaintMax

“I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son…”

What does this mean? I believe that Jesus Christ – true God, Son of the Father from eternity, and true man, born of the virgin Mary – is my Lord.

At great cost he has saved and redeemed me, a lost and condemned person. He has freed me from, sin, death, and the power of the devil – not with silver and gold, but with his holy and precious blood and his innocent suffering and death.

All this he has done that I may be his own, live under him in his kingdom, and serve him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, just as he is risen from the dead and lives and rules eternally.

This is most certainly true. (from The Small Catechism, by Martin Luther)

Benediction: For the Lord takes pleasure in his people;
    he adorns the humble with salvation.   Psalm 149.4

 

*This is now our congregation’s 99^th year in the Word. In 2025, we are reading from Genesis to Revelation, with a few interludes along the way.

 

 

Under Your Good Shepherd

... which is right where you belong.

Verse for the week: “Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel,
    you who lead Joseph like a flock.
You who are enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth.”  Psalm 80.1

Prayer for the week: Restore us, O God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord. Amen.

Bible reading for the day: Psalm 80.1-7  (This is a community prayer song, a lament of the people in distress. Something has gone terribly wrong - perhaps the death of Solomon and 922, or the fall of Israel in 722, or the fall of Judah and Jerusalem in 587, hard to say. Whatever the cause, the people are in distress and they know it. Gathered together and led by a song leader, they call out to the only one who can restore them.)

 ¹ Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel,
    you who lead Joseph like a flock.
You who are enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth.
²     Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh,
stir up your might
    and come to save us!

³ Restore us[1], O God;
    let your face shine, that we may be saved!

⁴ O Lord God of hosts,
    how long will you be angry with your people's prayers?
⁵ You have fed them with the bread of tears
    and given them tears to drink in full measure.
⁶ You make us an object of contention for our neighbors,
    and our enemies laugh among themselves.

⁷ Restore us, O God of hosts;
    let your face shine, that we may be saved!

Prayer of the Day: Give us your ear O Shepherd. You alone know whether it is best to drink from the cup of your gladness and wine of our tears.  According to you will, O Good Shepherd, drive me and all your sheep back to yourself... give us ears to hear Christ… For he alone is true pasture for us and our neighbors. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

Hymn: follow this link to a beloved classic that gives further voice to today’s conversation with the Lord: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQd2sh-nQ_M&ab_channel=MartijndeGroot

“I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son…”

What does this mean? I believe that Jesus Christ – true God, Son of the Father from eternity, and true man, born of the virgin Mary – is my Lord.

At great cost he has saved and redeemed me, a lost and condemned person. He has freed me from, sin, death, and the power of the devil – not with silver and gold, but with his holy and precious blood and his innocent suffering and death.

All this he has done that I may be his own, live under him in his kingdom, and serve him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, just as he is risen from the dead and lives and rules eternally.

This is most certainly true. (from The Small Catechism, by Martin Luther)

Benediction: For the Lord takes pleasure in his people;
    he adorns the humble with salvation.   Psalm 149.4

 

*This is now our congregation’s 99^th year in the Word. In 2025, we are reading from Genesis to Revelation, with a few interludes along the way.

 

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[1] Or Turn us again, bring us back

Your truest Friend

Verse for the week: “Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel,
    you who lead Joseph like a flock.
You who are enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth.”  Psalm 80.1

Prayer for the week: Restore us, O God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord. Amen.

Bible reading for the day: John 15.12-17

 ¹² “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. ¹³ Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. ¹⁴ You are my friends if you do what I command you. ¹⁵ No longer do I call you servants,^[a] for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. ¹⁶ You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. ¹⁷ These things I command you, so that you will love one another.”

Prayer of the Day: Gracious and Almighty Father, thank you: Christ Jesus is the truest friend I could ever ask for, laying down his life to rescue us from the devil, the world, and our own sinful selves. Thank you for choosing to befriend me and a world of lost sinners. Grant that the abiding fruit of Christ’s love would be our way of life; through the same, Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord. Amen.

Hymn: follow this link to a beloved classic that gives further voice to today’s conversation with the Lord: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5f7MV0ypbqo&ab_channel=OliveTreeHymns   

“Lead us not into temptation”

What does this mean? God tempts no one to sin, but we ask in this prayer that our heavenly Father would watch over us and keep us so that the devil, the world, and our sinful may not deceive us and draw us into false belief, despair, and other great and shameful sins.

And we pray that even though we are so tempted we may still win the final victory that is ours in Christ. (from The Small Catechism, by Martin Luther)

Benediction: For the Lord takes pleasure in his people;
    he adorns the humble with salvation.   Psalm 149.4

 

*This is now our congregation’s 99^th year in the Word. In 2025, we are reading from Genesis to Revelation, with a few interludes along the way.