The carved idol of yourself

Verse for the week: We have beheld his glory; glory as of the only Son from the Father. John 1.14

Prayer for the week: Almighty God, at the baptism of your blessed Son Jesus Christ in the Jordan you manifested his glorious divinity.  Grant that the brightness of his presence may shine in our hearts and his glory be set forth in our lives; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.” (Post-Communion in Sarum Rite, given in John Wallace Suter, Jr., The Book of English Collects (New York and London: Harper & Bros., 1940), p. 47.) 

Bible reading for the day: Isaiah 42.1-9 (The time is just prior to the end of the Exile, the 6^th century BC. God’s own beloved people had spurned the Lord and sought to establish themselves. As a result, their families and their nation have fallen apart and they have been exiled to Babylon. Now the Lord promises that he will take his chosen servant by the hand and use him to deliver them from the bondage they have brought upon themselves.)

 Behold my servant, whom I uphold,
    my chosen, in whom my soul delights;
I have put my Spirit upon him;
    he will bring forth justice to the nations.
² He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice,
    or make it heard in the street;
³ a bruised reed he will not break,
    and a faintly burning wick he will not quench;
    he will faithfully bring forth justice.
⁴ He will not grow faint or be discouraged
    till he has established justice in the earth;
    and the coastlands wait for his law.

⁵ Thus says God, the Lord,
    who created the heavens and stretched them out,
    who spread out the earth and what comes from it,
who gives breath to the people on it
    and spirit to those who walk in it:
⁶ “I am the Lord; I have called you^[b] in righteousness;
    I will take you by the hand and keep you;
I will give you as a covenant for the people,
    a light for the nations,
⁷     to open the eyes that are blind,
to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon,
    from the prison those who sit in darkness.
⁸ I am the Lord; that is my name;
    my glory I give to no other,
    nor my praise to carved idols.
⁹ Behold, the former things have come to pass,
    and new things I now declare;
before they spring forth
    I tell you of them.”

^bin v.6, the Hebrew for the pronoun “you” is singular, four times

prayer(based on the TRIP** method): Gracious and almighty Father, thank you for Jesus your kept promise, your chosen servant, your covenant with us, our rescue from the prison of our own darkness… thank you! Guard me and my congregation from the carved idol of ourselves. Our wicks burn quite faintly Lord, so send Christ to be our flame, our light, our Lord. In his name I ask this, amen.

Hymn: follow this link to a beloved classic which gives further voice to today’s conversation with the Lord. The recording is poor and slow, even nerdy, but it’s a great hymn😊and will preach to you: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKQJJ6xz1K0

What is baptism?

Baptism is not merely water; it is water used according to God's command and connected with God's Word.

What is this Word of God?

It is the Word of our Lord Jesus Christ as recorded in the last chapter of Matthew, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19).

What does baptism mean for daily life?

It means that the old Adam in us, together with all sins and evil desires, should be drowned by daily sorrow for sin and repentance and be put to death, and that the new person should come forth every day and rise to live before God in righteousness and purity forever.

Where is this written?

Saint Paul says in Romans, “We were buried therefore with him by Baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4 ESV). (from The Small Catechism, by Martin Luther ©Reclaim Resources, Sola Publishing, 2011)

benediction: The peace of God which surpasses all understanding keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Amen.  (Philippians 4.7)

*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 www.dailytext.com).  The method is founded on scripture and easy to remember:                                                                                    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.