Your beginning

Verse for the week:  Prepare the way of the Lord...behold, the Lord comes with might.”  Isaiah 40:3,10

Prayer for the 2^nd week of Advent: “Lord, accept our prayer and supplication, and grant that we may heed the call of John to prepare the way for your Son, and receive him into our hearts, that we may be your children; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.” (K. B. Ritter, Gebete fur das Jahr der Kirche, 2^nd ed.  Kassel: Johannes Stauda-Verlag, 1948)

Bible reading for the day:  Mark 1.1-10 (note: Mark opens his gospel by letting us know that in Jesus Christ, God is keeping the promise made centuries before to redeem his people)

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

² As it is written in Isaiah the prophet,

“Behold, I send my messenger before your face,
    who will prepare your way,
³ the voice of one crying in the wilderness:
    ‘Prepare the way of the Lord,
    make his paths straight,’”

⁴ John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. ⁵ And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. ⁶ Now John was clothed with camel's hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey. ⁷ And he preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. ⁸ I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

 ⁹ In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. ¹⁰ And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. ¹¹ And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

Prayer (based on T.R.I.P. method*): Gracious and almighty Lord, in his ascetic clothes and with his clear voice, John points us to the only one who fulfills your word, the only one mighty and yet humble enough to defeat our sin, our death, and the devil: Christ Jesus, your beloved Son. Repent me of taking myself as my starting place and putting myself above my baptism. Give me and your whole church the down-to-earth humility of John that confesses that we are not worthy of your sandal strap… and simultaneously give us the confidence that confesses that in Christ alone we are your beloved sons and daughters. I ask this in Jesus’ name, amen.

Music: Follow this link to a scene from Handel’s “Messiah” which gives further voice to today’s conversation with the Lord: https://www.google.com/search?q=Behold%2C+the+lamb+of+God%2C+Handel%27s+%22Messiah%22&rlz=1C1GCEU_enUS909US909&oq=Behold%2C+the+lamb+of+God%2C+Handel%27s+%22Messiah%22&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOTIICAEQABgWGB4yCAgCEAAYFhgeMg0IAxAAGIYDGIAEGIoFMg0IBBAAGIYDGIAEGIoFMg0IBRAAGIYDGIAEGIoFMg0IBhAAGIYDGIAEGIoFMg0IBxAAGIYDGIAEGIoF0gEJMTc2MDVqMGo3qAIAsAIA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:86e9e52f,vid:keX7IG6VsiY,st:0

“What gifts or benefits does baptism bring?”

It brings about forgiveness of sins, delivers from death and the devil, and gives everlasting salvation to all who believe, as the Word and promise of God declare.

What is this Word and promise of God?

It is the Word of our Lord Jesus Christ as recorded in the last chapter of Mark, “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned” Mark 16:16.  (from The Small Catechism, by Martin Luther ©Reclaim Resources, Sola Publishing, 2011)

Benediction: “The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my rock in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.      Psalm 147.10-11

 

*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.