I believe that I cannot...

Verse for the week: “Do not remember against us our former iniquities;
    let your compassion come speedily to meet us,
    for we are brought very low.”  Psalm 79.8

Prayer for the week: Dear heavenly Father, preserve your beloved, rebellious children from loving the sound of our own words. Dig out ears for us that we may hear your Word for us in Christ crucified and raised for our forgiveness, life, and salvation; through the same, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Bible reading for the day: Mark 4.10-12 (Jesus quotes Isaiah so that we might hear that faith is not a product of our decision or understanding, but completely a gift from God.

¹⁰ And when he was alone, those around him with the twelve asked him about the parables. ¹¹ And he said to them, “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables, ¹² so that

“‘they may indeed see but not perceive,
    and may indeed hear but not understand,
lest they should turn and be forgiven.’”

Prayer for the day: Gracious and almighty Father, thank you: the secret of your reign is your voice in our ears rather than our own words on top of yours. Keep on decluttering our ears Lord, for our trust in you comes not by our own understanding or effort, but by your Holy Spirit tucking Christ’s forgiveness of our sins into our very own ears. I pray in his name, 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=vBjM47zICos&ab_channel=MartijndeGroot

“I believe in the Holy Spirit…”

What does this mean?  I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength 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 preserved me in the true faith.

In the same way, he calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian church on earth, and preserves it in unity with Jesus Christ in the one true faith. In this Christian church, he daily forgives abundantly all my sins and the sins of all believers.

At the last day, he will raise me and all the dead and will grant everlasting life to me and to all who believe in Christ. This is most certainly true!  (from The Small Catechism, Martin Luther)

Benediction: For the Lord takes pleasure in his people;
    he adorns the humble with salvation.   Psalm 149.4

 

*This is now our congregation’s 99^th year in the Word. In 2025, we are reading from Genesis to Revelation, with a few interludes along the way.