You don't need more faith...

Verse for the week: “God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong.” I Corinthians 1.27

Prayer for the week: “Almighty and merciful God, for your mercy’s sake, keep far from us all that opposes you, that, unhindered in body and soul, we may serve you with hearts set free; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen” (K.B. Ritter, Gebete fur das jahr der Kirched, 2nd  ed. Kassel: Barenreiter Verlag, 1948, p.216).  

Bible reading for the day: Luke 17.1-7 (Jesus is getting very near Jerusalem, where he will take head on the cross, the sin of the world. His training program – if we can even call it that – for the apostles is almost over.) 

And he said to his disciples, “Temptations to sin are sure to come, but woe to the one through whom they come! ² It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin. ³ Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, ⁴ and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”

⁵ The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” ⁶ And the Lord said, “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.

Prayer (based on the TRIP* method): Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for enduring, indeed, for swallowing up our foolish questions. In this lost and tempting world, we don’t need more faith; we simply need to take you at your word… and rebuke and forgive sin aplenty every day. Make it so among us, Lord, make it so. In your name I pray, amen.

Hymn: follow this link to a beloved classic which gives further voice to today’s conversation with the Lord: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vleM7mPzdgk  

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 no 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; 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:  May the God of peace himself grow you in his will entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.  The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do this.  Amen.  I Thess 5.23

 *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).  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.