How can sinners like you and me be pure?

Verse for the week: “The Lord has done great things for us; we are glad.” Psalm 126.3

Prayer for the week: “Almighty and everlasting God, increase in us the gifts of faith, hope, and charity; and, that we may obtain what you have already promised, make us love what you command; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen” (Lutheran Book of Worship, prayer for the 23^rd Sunday after Pentecost). 

Bible reading for the day: Psalm 119.9-16 (note: Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in the entire Bible; owing to the fact that it is an acrostic poem of 22 stanzas. Following the letters of the Hebrew alphabet, within each stanza, each verse begins with the same Hebrew letter. Due to our postmodern impatience and short attention spans, this psalm rarely gets read entirely in one sitting. The psalm confesses the intimacy and wonder of Yahweh’s work on and for us.)

⁹ How can a young man keep his way pure?
    By guarding it according to your word.
¹⁰ With my whole heart I seek you;
    let me not wander from your commandments!
¹¹ I have stored up your word in my heart,
    that I might not sin against you.
¹² Blessed are you, O Lord;
    teach me your statutes!
¹³ With my lips I declare
    all the rules of your mouth.
¹⁴ In the way of your testimonies I delight
    as much as in all riches.
¹⁵ I will meditate on your precepts
    and fix my eyes on your ways.
¹⁶ I will delight in your statutes;
    I will not forget your word.

Prayer (based on T.R.I.P. method*): Gracious and almighty Father, I promise not to forget your word, not to sin against you… and yet we know the truth of my nature, my own sin. Thank you for the only one who indeed fulfills your commandments and does not sin against you: Jesus Christ, our Lord. He alone is my purity. Grant to me and to your whole church such delight and trust in him that we may become what you intended for Adam and Eve… through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord. 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=3rc3kg7OIeQ

“I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.”

What does this mean?

I believe that I cannot, by my own understanding or effort, believe in Jesus Christ my Lord, or come to him. But the Holy Spirit has called me through the gospel, enlightened me with his gifts, and sanctified and kept me in true faith.  In the same way, he calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian church on earth and keeps it united with Jesus Christ in the one true faith.  In this Christian church, day after day, he fully forgives my sins and the sins of all believers. On the last day he will raise me and all the dead and give me and all believers in Christ eternal life. This is most certainly true. (from The Small Catechism, by Martin Luther)

Benediction:  The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life.

                             The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in

                             From this time on and forevermore.  Ps 121.7-8  

 

*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.