and all that is within me,
bless his holy name!” Psalm 103.1
Prayer for the week: O God, holy and eternal, you call us into the fellowship of that holy
suffering by which your dear Son, our Savior, conquered sin, death and the
power of the devil. Grant that we may trust his passion, accept the cross as
his disciples, that your holy will be done among us; through Jesus Christ our
Lord. Amen. [K.B. Ritter, Gebete fur das Jahr der Kirche, 2nd
edition (Kassel: Johannes Stauda-Verlag, 1948), p. 249, revised]
Bible reading for the day: John 16.25-33
25
“I have said these things to you in figures of speech. The hour is coming
when I will no longer speak to you in figures of speech but will tell you
plainly about the Father. 26 In that day you will
ask in my name, and I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your
behalf; 27 for the Father himself loves you,
because you have loved me and have believed that I came from
God. 28 I came from the Father and have come into
the world, and now I am leaving the world and going to the Father.”
29 His disciples said, “Ah,
now you are speaking plainly and not using figurative speech! 30 Now
we know that you know all things and do not need anyone to question you;
this is why we believe that you came from God.” 31 Jesus
answered them, “Do you now believe? 32 Behold, the
hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to
his own home, and will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the
Father is with me. 33 I have said these things to
you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will
have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
Prayer for the day: Gracious and almighty Father, like
Jesus, our faith comes from you… and from him… and from your Holy Spirit. Thank
you! No sooner does faith take hold and we finally trust you, than we are attacked
and scattered. Such is the nature of this world and the evil one. Until we are
reunited with you and your Son, his promise is our reason to take heart amidst
the tribulation. Thank you, in Jesus’ name, amen.
Hymn: follow this link to a hymn that gives further voice
to today’s conversation with the Lord: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPbQInnaCUs&ab_channel=AcapellaHymns
“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 person. 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, 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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