Time in the Word
Christians
in a non-Believing World
Easter 7
May 15-20, 2023
This coming week will be the last
Sunday in Easter. Easter 7 serves as a bridge between Ascension and Pentecost.
We look back to the Ascension or forward to Pentecost. Because Easter was so
late this year, we will be celebrating Ascension the last week of May.
A Daytime
Collect for Eastertide Almighty
God the Father, through Your only-begotten Son Jesus Christ You have overcome
death and opened the gate of everlasting life to us. Grant that we, who
celebrate with joy the day of our Lord’s resurrection, may be raised from the
death of sin by Your life-giving Spirit.
For Agriculture
- Almighty God, You blessed the earth to make it fruitful, bringing forth in
abundance whatever is needed for the support of our lives. Prosper; we implore
You, the work of farmers, especially in this planting season. Grant them
seasonable weather that they may gather in the fruits of the earth and thus
proclaim Your goodness. May we see by this noble vocation that by Your aid we
are helping to feed the world and cause all who give thanks over their food to
treat those who produce it with honor and respect.
An
Evening Collect for Eastertide
– Abide with
us, Lord, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. Abide with us and
with Your whole Church. Abide with us in the end of the day, in the end of our
life, in the end of the world. Abide with us with Your grace and goodness, with
Your Holy Word and sacrament, with Your strength and blessing. Abide with us
when the night of affliction and temptation comes upon us, the night of fear
and despair when death shall come. Abide with us and with all the faithful
through time and eternity.
Monday, May 15, 2023 – Psalm 68:1-10
- This is the Psalm suggested for the last Sunday in
Easter. It appears to be an order of service for procession to the temple in
Jerusalem. The Lord has brought salvation to Israel Vv. 1-6 in the Exodus Vv.
7-10 and the wilderness wanderings. Vv.11-14 extended verses.
Tuesday, May 16, 2023 –Acts 1:12—26 – Christians in the world pray for the Spirit. At His ascension, Jesus promised to send the
Spirit to the disciples. The risen Lord meets with His eleven disciples a short
distance from Jerusalem where before ascending to His Father, He promises them
the Spirit who will give them power to witness throughout the world. Then they
returned to an upper room in Jerusalem
to pray. With the disciples are Jesus’ brothers and mother. This is her last
appearance in the New Testament — she is seen among the first Christians
praying and waiting for the Spirit. This deals with both the Ascension and next
Sunday’s Pentecost. The First Lesson is similar to today’s Acts 1:1-11.
Otherwise, the Lesson can be used to prepare for the upcoming Pentecost
celebration.
Wednesday, May 17, 2023 – 1 Peter 4:12-19; 5:6-11 – Christians in the world share Christ’s sufferings.
Christians are to rejoice over the privilege of sharing Christ’s suffering,
and, after suffering, God will restore and strengthen them. The exhortations to
the newly baptized are continued in this passage. They are warned of impending
persecution for being Christians, for at this time it was a crime to be a
Christian. They are not to be surprised when suffering comes, but to rejoice
that they suffer as Jesus did. When suffering comes, the new Christians are to
be humble, trust in God’s care, be on guard against temptation, and to remember
that suffering is over and God will strengthen them. They are to take comfort
in the fact that suffering is experienced by the whole church.
Thursday, May 18, 2023–
John 17:1-11 – Christians in the
world are prayed for. Before His departure, Jesus prays for His disciples.
This lesson is a part of Christ’s high priestly prayer, the
end of His farewell discourse at the Last Supper begun in chapter 13. The hour
of His departure has come. He reports to the Father that He has accomplished
the work He was sent to do.
Friday, May 19, 2023 – Psalm 47 – This
Psalm is suggested for Ascension. The
Psalmist gives praise for the kingship of the Lord and the universal reign of
the God of Abraham. It is seen as a prophecy of Christ who will rise up to be
king of the entire earth through the preaching of the Gospel.
Saturday, May 20,
2023 – Acts 2:21 – This verse is the inspiration for the hymn, “Christ is the World’s Redeemer“{LSB 539}. The suggested hymn for this week
reminds us that Jesus is the Savior of the world. Having examined the realities
of Easter, we now go out into the world as witnesses of the Savior. This is
what living the faith means. Expressing what those 1st Century
disciples proclaimed, “We are witnesses to these things”
Sources:
THE
LUTHERAN HYMNAL © 1940 Concordia Publishing House, St.
Louis , MO
LUTHERAN
WORSHIP © 1982 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis , MO
LUTHERAN SEVICE BOOK LECTIONARY © 2006 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis , MO
LECTIONARY PREACHING WORKBOOK
© 1989 John Brokhoff CSS Publishing, Lima ,
OH
Schnorr von Carolsfeld,
woodcuts © WELS Permission to use these copyrighted items is limited to
personal and congregational use.
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