Deuteronomy
30:15–20—In Moab
(Deuteronomy 29:1), before they entered the Promised Land, Moses re-iterated
the covenant between the LORD and His people, the Children of Israel. He
reminded them of how the LORD led them out of bondage in Egypt and cared for
them throughout their sojourn in the wilderness. Then, Moses tells the
Israelites that they must follow one of two paths: to continue as God’s Chosen
People or to turn their backs on the One who chose them, made them His own,
preserved them, and promised to take them into a land where He would continue
to shower blessings upon them. It seems that the decision would be easy to
make: Choose life, that you and your offspring may live, loving the LORD your
God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length
of days, yet we know that most people, including most of the Jews, the
descendants of the Children of Israel, have chosen instead the way that leads
away from God, and into death, eternal death. Let us ever remain faithful to
the One who provides life through His Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ.
Collect for
Proper 18: O merciful Lord, You did not spare Your only Son but delivered Him up for
us all. Grant us courage and strength to take up the cross and follow Him; [2]
Collect for
Pentecost 13: Merciful Father, since You have given Your only Son as the sacrifice for
our sin, also give us grace to receive with thanksgiving the fruits of His
redeeming work and daily follow in His ways; [3]
Collect for
Wednesday of the week of Pentecost 12:
Almighty and everlasting God, always more
ready to hear than we to pray and always ready to give more than we either
desire or deserve, pour down on us the abundance of your mercy, forgiving us
the things of which our conscience is afraid and giving us the good things we
are not worth to ask but through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ, your
Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now
and forever. Amen [4]-31 August, 2022
[1] Woodcut by Baron Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld, 1794-1872, a distinguished German artist known especially for his book, The Book of Books in Pictures ©WELS for personal and congregational use
[2] Collect for Proper 18, Lutheran Service Book © 2006 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis
[3] Collect for Pentecost 13, Lutheran Worship, © 1980 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis
[4] Collect for Wednesday of the week of Pentecost 12, For All the Saints, A Prayer Book For and By the Church, Vol. II © 1995 The American Lutheran Publicity Bureau, Delhi, NY
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