Verse for the week: “O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!” Psalm 8.1
Prayer for the week: Gracious heavenly Father, your
name is majestic and holy in and of itself. See to it that your word is taught
in its truth and purity among us and that we as your children live in harmony
with it. Turn us from teaching or living contrary to your word and thus
dishonoring your name. Hallow your name among us; through Jesus Christ, your
Son, our Lord. Amen.
Bible reading for the day: John 6.25-40 (Though the Lord has been providing
forgiveness, life and salvation for his chosen people for thousands of years,
sinners still seek a bellyful of something less and have a hard time taking
Jesus at his word.)
When they found him on the other side of the sea, they
said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” 26 Jesus
answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not
because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. 27 Do
not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to
eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God
the Father has set his seal.” 28 Then they
said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” 29 Jesus
answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him
whom he has sent.” 30 So they said to
him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work
do you perform? 31 Our fathers ate the manna in the
wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to
eat.’” 32 Jesus then said to them, “Truly,
truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but
my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For
the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the
world.” 34 They said to him, “Sir, give us
this bread always.”
35 Jesus said to
them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger,
and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. 36 But
I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. 37 All
that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I
will never cast out. 38 For I have come down
from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent
me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent
me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me,
but raise it up on the last day. 40 For this
is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son
and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up
on the last day.”
Prayer for the week: Gracious and almighty Lord, you
alone have the words of eternal life, to whom else could we go? Daily rescue me
and your whole church from the vain craving of our will. Keep doing your work on
us Lord, that we may trust the one you have sent… the bread of life… Jesus
Christ, your Son, our Lord. Amen.
Hymn: follow this link to a beloved classic that
gives further voice to today’s conversation with the Lord: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAigUNye_jI&ab_channel=MartijndeGroot
“Hallowed be thy name…”
What does this mean for us?
God’s name is certainly holy in itself, but we ask in
this prayer that we may keep it holy.
When does this happen? God’s name is hallowed whenever his word is
taught in its truth and purity and we as children of God live in harmony with
it. Help us to do this, heavenly Father! But anyone who teaches or lives
contrary to the word of God dishonors God’s name among us. Keep us from doing
this, heavenly Father! (from The Small Catechism, by Martin Luther)
Benediction: The Lord bless you
and keep you;
25 the Lord make his face to shine upon you
and be gracious to you;
26 the Lord lift up his countenance upon
you and give you peace. Numbers
6.24-26
*This is now
our congregation’s 99th year in the Word. In 2025, we are reading
from Genesis to Revelation, with a few interludes along the way.
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