Invitatory[1]:
“For you, O Lord, have made
me glad by your work;
at the works of your hands I sing for joy.” Psalm 92.4
at the works of your hands I sing for joy.” Psalm 92.4
Prayer for the week: “Almighty God, you richly and unceasingly furnish us
with all good things and preserve us day by day. Make us to acknowledge this with our whole
heart, that we may thank and praise you for your lovingkindness and mercy here
and for evermore; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (K.B. Ritter, Gebete fur das jahr der Kirched, 2nd
ed. Kassel: Barenreiter Verlag, 1948, p.
200).
Bible reading for the day: Luke 14.1, 7-14
1 One
Sabbath, when he went to dine at the house of a ruler of the Pharisees, they
were watching him carefully.
7Now
he told a parable to those who were invited, when he noticed how they chose the
places of honor, saying to them, 8 “When you are invited by someone
to a wedding feast, do not sit down in a place of honor, lest someone more
distinguished than you be invited by him, 9 and he who invited you
both will come and say to you, ‘Give your place to this person,’ and then you
will begin with shame to take the lowest place. 10 But when you are
invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when your host comes he may
say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher.’ Then you will be honored in the presence
of all who sit at table with you. 11 For everyone who exalts himself
will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
12He
said also to the man who had invited him, “When you give a dinner or a banquet,
do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich
neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. 13 But
when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14
and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be
repaid at the resurrection of the just.”
prayer(based on
the TRIP** method): Gracious and almighty
Father, you are the host and sinners like me are your cherished guests, chosen
by you for the kingdom. Thank you!
Repent me and your church of exalting ourselves and thinking we deserve
better. Humble us and serve your
generosity up through our lives…make us serve those who cannot repay us. I ask this in Jesus’ name, amen.
“I believe in Jesus Christ, his only
Son, our Lord…”
What
does this mean for us?
I believe that Jesus Christ — true God, begotten of
the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the Virgin Mary — is my
Lord. He has redeemed me, a lost and condemned creature, and 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. He has done all
this in order that I might be his own, live under him in his kingdom, and serve
him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, even as he is
risen from the dead and lives and reigns for all eternity. This is most
certainly true! from The Small
Catechism, by Martin Luther ©Reclaim Resources, Sola Publishing, 2011)
benediction: And after
you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you
to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, support, strengthen, and
establish you this day. To him be the
power forever and ever. Amen. 1
Pet 5:10)
[1]
As the word implies, an invitatory is a verse that invites or invokes the
Lord’s ear and his work upon you.
*There are many patterns for devotions. This pattern has been followed by God’s
people for centuries.
**The T.R.I.P. approach to prayer is based on the way Martin
Luther prayed and taught others to pray. It was later developed by Walter and Ingrid
Trobisch and then adapted by Mount Carmel Ministries (Alexandria MN
T:
thanksgiving
R:
regret (repentance)
I:
intercession (asking God to take a specific action)
P:
plan or purpose
Reading a biblical text and then applying this method gives
one a sound, simple way to form one’s prayers...not to mention that it helps
one learn how to faithfully reflect on God’s Word and talk to God.
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