Verse
for the week: He shall divide the
spoil with the strong; because he poured out his soul to death and…bore the
sins of many. Isaiah 53.12
Prayer of the Day:
Holy God, source of all love, on the night of his betrayal, Jesus
gave his disciples a new commandment: To love one another as he had loved
them. By your Holy Spirit write this
commandment on our hearts and keep it in our behavior; through your Son, Jesus
Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God,
now and forever. Amen.
Bible
reading for the day: Matthew 26.17-29 (scripture – which many times will
recount a thousand years in one sentence – slows way down to tell in detail the
truth of this evening, these hours.)
Now
on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying,
“Where will you have us prepare for you to eat the Passover?” 18 He
said, “Go into the city to a certain man and say to him, ‘The Teacher
says, My time is at hand. I will keep the Passover at your house with my
disciples.’” 19 And the disciples did as Jesus had
directed them, and they prepared the Passover.
20 When
it was evening, he reclined at table with the twelve. 21 And
as they were eating, he said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will
betray me.” 22 And they were very sorrowful and
began to say to him one after another, “Is it I, Lord?” 23 He
answered, “He who has dipped his hand in the dish with me will betray
me. 24 The Son of Man goes as it is written of
him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would
have been better for that man if he had not been born.” 25 Judas,
who would betray him, answered, “Is it I, Rabbi?” He said to
him, “You have said so.”
26 Now
as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and
gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my
body.” 27 And he took a cup, and when he had
given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, 28 for this
is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out
for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29 I
tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I
drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom.”
Prayer (based on TRIP** method): Gracious
Lord Christ, you give yourself for the forgiveness of disciples who run away
instead of follow you, for sinners who deny you instead of confess you, for beloved
ones who dine at your table and yet betray you; in other words: you give
yourself for me and my congregation. Thank you! Until you return, give us a
hearty appetite for you tonight and as often as you will; in your name I ask
it. Amen.
Anthem: for a
meditation on Christ’s passion, put your ear buds in or get to a personal space
and listen to Samuel Barber’s “Angus Dei”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOwRW8ee4S8
What is the benefit of such eating and drinking (of the Lord’s
supper)?
It is pointed out in these words: “Given and shed for you
for the forgiveness of sins.” Through these words the forgiveness of sin, life,
and salvation are given to us in the Sacrament, for where there is forgiveness
of sin, there is also life and salvation.
(from The Small Catechism, by Martin Luther ©Reclaim Resources,
Sola Publishing, 2011)
Benediction:
O taste and see that the
LORD is good; happy are those who take refuge in him. (Psalm 34:8)
*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.
No comments:
Post a Comment