...is Christ.
Verse for the week: “Oh sing to
the Lord a new song,
for he has done marvelous things!
His right hand and his holy arm
have worked salvation for him.” Psalm 98.1
Prayer for the week: Dear heavenly Father, not by the rule of men but by Christ Jesus born
under your eternal law and crucified for the unrighteous you have judged the
world with righteousness and us with equity. Thank you; through the same,
Christ Jesus our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one
God, now and forever. Amen.
Bible reading for the day: I Corinthians 1.18-31 (Writing in 54 AD, Paul declares that it is our nature to reject God.
Religious people demand signs that Jesus and we fit a religious box. Children
of this age believe in human wisdom. Meanwhile, Christians preach Christ
crucified for the ungodly.
18 For the word of the cross is folly
to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it
is the power of God. 19 For it is written,
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”
20 Where is the one who is
wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God
made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since,
in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God
through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. 22 For Jews
demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we
preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to
Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews
and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For
the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger
than men.
26 For consider your
calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly
standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God
chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is
weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose
what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not,
to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that
no human being might boast in the presence of God. 30 And
because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from
God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so
that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
Prayer for the day: Gracious and almighty Father,
thank you for rescuing me and your whole church from our own wisdom and giving
us yours: Christ crucified for our salvation. Your foolishness is wiser than
all our wisdom, your weakness stronger than all our strength. So, keep on thwarting
my will and bringing my proud self to nothing, that I may trust and boast in Christ
alone. In his name I pray, amen.
Hymn: Bach’s St. Matthew’s Passion gives further voice
to today’s conversation with the Lord. Here is a link, listen to as much as you
wish; attend the lyrics and come back to this again and again: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwVW1ttVhuQ&ab_channel=NetherlandsBachSociety
And here is a link to an interlinear translation of the
lyrics: https://www.bach-cantatas.com/Texts/BWV244-Eng3.htm
“I believe in Jesus Christ…”
What does this mean?
I believe that Jesus Christ – true God, son of the Father from eternity,
and true man, born of the virgin Mary – is my Lord.
At great cost he has saved and redeemed me, a lost and
condemned creature. He has freed me from sin, death, and the power of the devil
– not with silver or gold, but with his holy and precious blood and his
innocent suffering and death.
All this he has done that I may be his own, live under him
in his kingdom, and serve him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and
blessedness, just as he is risen from the dead and lives and rules eternally.
This is most certainly true. (from The Small Catechism, by Martin Luther)
Benediction: Blessed be the Lord, the God of
Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting!
And let all the people say, “Amen!”
Praise the Lord! Psalm 106.48
*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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