Saturday prior to Proper 12

[1]

Matthew 6:5-13; 7:7-11 – The hymn of study this week is “Come, My Soul, with Every Care” (LSB 779). In every need in every circumstance take it to the Lord in prayer.

Come, my soul, with ev'ry care;
Jesus loves to answer prayer.
He himself bids you to pray.
He will never turn away,

You are coming to a king--
large petitions with you bring.
For his grace and pow'r are such,
none can ever ask too much,

With my burden I begin:
Lord, remove this load of sin;
let your blood, for sinners spilt,
set my conscience free from guilt,

Lord, your rest to me impart;
take possession of my heart.
There your blood-bought right maintain,
and without a rival reign,

While I am a pilgrim here,
let your love my spirit cheer.
As my guide, my guard, my friend,
lead me to my journey's end, 

Show me what I have to do;
ev'ry hour my strength renew.
I would have your will, not mine;
for it's perfect, good, and kind,

 

John Newton (b. London, England, 1725; d. London, 1807) was born into a Christian home, but his godly mother died when he was seven, and he joined his father at sea when he was eleven. His licentious and tumul­tuous sailing life included a flogging for attempted desertion from the Royal Navy and captivity by a slave trader in West Africa. After his escape he himself became the captain of a slave ship. Several factors contributed to Newton's conversion: a near-drowning in 1748, the piety of his friend Mary Catlett, (whom he married in 1750), and his reading of Thomas à Kempis' Imitation of Christ. In 1754 he gave up the slave trade and, in association with William Wilberforce, eventually became an ardent abolitionist.[2]

For the right understanding of Christ: Almighty God, whom to know is everlasting life, grant us perfectly to know Your Son, Jesus Christ, to be the way, the truth, and the life that following His steps we may steadfastly walk in the way that leads to eternal life; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord.[3]

Collect for Saturday of the week of Pentecost 7: Father, grant us insight, so that we may look deep into your Word, and not cling to superficial or shallow understandings. Grant us to focus that we may not be mesmerized by shadows or illusions, but concentrate on the substance of Your Word, and this we ask in Jesus’ name. Amen (Anonymous) [4]

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[1] Lift High the Cross copyright © Ed Riojas, Higher Things

[2] https://hymnary.org/text/come_my_soul_with_ever_care

[3] Collect for the right understanding of Christ, Lutheran Service Book © 2006 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis

[4] Collect for Saturday of the week of Pentecost 7, For All the Saints, A Prayer Book For and By the Church, Vol. II © 1995 The American Lutheran Publicity Bureau, Delhi, NY