Your neighbor, that's who.
Verse for the week:
Behold, the kingdom of God is among you. Luke 17.21
Prayer for the week: “Lord, you have promised to
grant what we pray in the name of your Son. Teach us to pray aright and to laud
and praise you with all your saints in the fullness of life everlasting;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”
(K.B. Ritter, Gebete fur das jahr der Kirche, 2nd ed. Kassel: Barenreiter Verlag, 1948, p.
152).
Bible reading for the day: Ephesians 4.1-16
1 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord,
urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have
been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness,
with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager
to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There
is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the
one hope that belongs to your call— 5 one
Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God
and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. 7 But grace
was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's
gift. 8 Therefore it says,
“When he ascended on high he led a host of captives,
and he gave gifts to men.”
9 (In saying, “He
ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower
regions, the earth? 10 He who descended is the one
who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill
all things.) 11 And he gave the apostles,
the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to
equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body
of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity
of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to
the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so
that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and
carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness
in deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, speaking
the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the
head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body,
joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when
each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up
in love.
Prayer (based on T.R.I.P. method*): Gracious
and almighty Father, thank you for all of Christ’s descending and ascending
work for us: to be with us on earth, to become our sin on the cross, to declare
victory over Satan and his hell, to reign over us now and for eternity… he’s
been busy. Thank you! And while he’s been at it, he has given each of us spiritual
gifts to serve our neighbor. So repent us of the immaturity that gives ear to
human cunning, schemes, and puffs of bad doctrine and gets distracted from our
calling. Under Christ’s headship, grow each congregation – including mine – to
the full stature you will for us. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.
Hymn: follow this link to a beloved, classic hymn
that gives further voice to today’s conversation with the Lord: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbcBXYP4AlE
“Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven…
What does this mean?
The good and gracious will of God is surely done without our
prayer, but we pray in this petition that it may be done also among us.
How is this done?
God's will is done when he hinders and destroys every evil
design and purpose of the devil, the world, and our sinful nature that would
keep us from hallowing his name and prevent the coming of his kingdom. And
God’s will is done when he strengthens us and keeps us steadfast in his Word
and in faith to the end of our earthly lives. This is his good and gracious
will. (from The Small Catechism, by Martin Luther ©Reclaim Resources,
Sola Publishing, 2011).
Benediction: The
God of hope fill us with all joy and peace in believing, that we may abound in
hope, in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Amen. (Romans 15.13)
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