February

Feb 7                     Transfiguration of our Lord -“The Vision of God” - Divine Service Setting #1

Feb. 10                 Ash Wednesday – Our Father Who art in Heaven

Feb 14           1^st Sun. in Lent –“A Good Confession”- Divine Service Setting #3 without Communion

Feb. 17                 Mid-week Lent #2 – Hallowed be Thy Name

Feb. 21                 2^nd Sun. in Lent –“Facing Up To Your Enemies”- Divine Service Setting #2

Feb. 24                                 Mid-week Lent #3 – Thy Kingdom Come

Feb. 28                 3^rd Sun. in Lent -“A Life of Repentance”- Matins

During the month of February, we turn our sights toward Jerusalem – the place called Zion in the Old Testament, the place of temple, the place of God’s presence, the place of Jesus’ arrest, trial, death, and resurrection. Throughout the season of Lent we will focus on the great prayer Jesus has taught us, ”The Lord’s prayer.”  A daily devotion focusing on the petitions has been written for each day during Lent. It will be available on the church web site, on the church’s facebook page and in print.

The readings, which are listed for each day, come to us from Luther’s Small Catechism. It would be beneficial for you to review each section and Petition of the Catechism along with the additional Scriptural Passages for each petition found in the Catechism. As time permits, a review of the Large Catechism might also prove beneficial.  Along with the reading this year you will find a brief commentary taken from The Lutheran Study Bible. This brief explanation will set the tone for each daily devotion, giving the theological significance to each passage.

There are only sixty-three words in the Lord’s Prayer.  It takes less than a minute to say them. Yet these words shape our identity, give purpose to our lives, check our greed, remind us of our imperfections, offer a way of reconciliation, build resilience in our spirits and call us to live to the glory of our Creator.

Life is to be lived to God’s praise and glory, not to satisfy our own small desires.  We are beings with a higher calling and a greater purpose. Thus, we are urged to pray this powerful yet simple prayer.

This prayer gives to those who pray it an identity and a place in the world and a countercultural community. Thus, we pray, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name”.  It opposes the illusion that we are random specks of matter floating through space and time.  It opposes the idea that our lives do not matter.  It opposes the myth of fragmented humanity.

We are created and loved. Called into friendship with God who is our father and into community with our fellow human beings who are therefore our sisters and brothers.  Only someone who has found this new identity can stand against the advertising culture, which night and day seduces us to define who we are by what we spend.

This prayer gives us the courage to live in an imperfect world. Thus, we pray, “Your kingdom come.  Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Our Lord bids us to pray with for ourselves and with each other. As we focus on these petitions may the Lord direct our work and life together who has called us into this community of which we refer as our Friedheim Family.

The Lord bless and direct your Lenten pilgrimage.

O Lord God, You led Your ancient people through the wilderness and brought them to the Promised Land. Guide the people of Your Church that following our Savior we may walk through the wilderness of this world toward the glory of the world to come; - Collect for the 1^st Sunday in Lent.