Your local calling

Verse for the week: Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession of faith.  Hebrews 4.14

Prayer for the week: “Eternal God, you commit to us the swift and solemn trust of life; since we know not what the day may bring forth, but only that the hour for serving you is always present, may we wake to the constant claim of your holy will, not waiting for tomorrow, but yielding today.  Consecrate with your presence the way our feet may go and the humblest work will shine, and the roughest place be made plain.  Lift us above unrighteous anger and mistrust, into faith, and hope, and charity, by a simple and steadfast reliance on your sure will.  In all things draw us to the mind of Christ, that your lost image may be traced again, and you may own us as at one with him and you, to the glory of your great name. Amen.” (James Martineau, Home Prayers, London: Longmans, Green, 1891)

Bible reading for the day: Acts 1.6-11 (note: 40 days after his resurrection, the disciples are together in Jerusalem – no longer huddled behind locked doors – and Jesus is with them.)

⁴ So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” ⁷ He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. ⁸ But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” ⁹ And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. ¹⁰ And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, ¹¹ and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

Prayer (based on TRIP* method): Gracious and almighty Father, thank you for raising Jesus from the dead and for promising to send him back one day. Repent me and your whole church of poking our noses in where they don’t belong… and of our preoccupation with kingdoms of this world. Even as we look forward to Jesus’ return, redirect our gaze down from heaven and toward our neighbor… that we may be occupied with the business of Your kingdom, the business of being your witnesses locally and to the end of the earth. I ask this in Jesus’ name, amen.

Hymn:  follow this link to a classic hymn that gives further voice to today’s conversation with the Lord:  https://vimeo.com/46203440

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.  (from The Small Catechism, by Martin Luther, © Reclaim Resources, Sola Publishing, 2011)

Benediction: (1 Peter 5:10)  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.    

 

*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.