Monday, July 31, 2023

Tuesday prior to – Proper 13

Isaiah 55:1-5 – In the Old Testament reading for this coming Sunday the Lord Himself offers food for our souls. He calls the hungry and thirsty to come to Him for spiritual food and drink.

A literal translation of verse 1 may be rendered, “Hey, you! Come buy and eat! No money necessary!"

Can we buy without money or credit cards? There are some things that cannot be bought at any price. Can we buy love, friendship, happiness, or peace? Can we buy friendship with God? The best things in life are not for sale. They come as gifts from God.

God’s ultimate of gift to the world comes in the birth of His Son, Jesus our Savior. He entered time and space to be our redeemer, rescuer and friend. He’s no knight in shinning armor; rather he came as a suffering servant. Says Isaiah later on in His prophecy, “He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.” Isaiah 53:3-5

We gather to hear God’s Word and to partake of the Lord’s Supper for a foretaste of the new creation. Such is God’s feast of outrageous abundance that exposes our feeble attempts to hoard God’s love, and rather says, “The Body of Christ given for you.” Likewise, from the Gospel according to Isaiah: “Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. Incline your ear, and come to me; listen, so that you may live. I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David.” (Isaiah 55:2b-3)[2]

Be patient and await His leisure
   In cheerful hope, with heart content
To take what-e’er thy Father’s pleasure
   And His discerning love hath sent,
Nor doubt nor inmost wants are known
   To Him who chose us for His own[3]

[1] The Lord's Supper image copyright © Ed Riojas, Higher Things
[2] https://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=2107
[3] If Thou But Trust in God to Guide Thee stanza 3, Lutheran Service Book © 2006 Concordia Publishing House, St., Louis

Sunday, July 30, 2023

Monday prior to – Proper 13

Psalm 105:39-43 - This is the Psalm portion from which the Introit for this coming Sunday is taken. The antiphon is taken from verse 1, “Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon His name; make known His deeds among the peoples!” These words find their way into our worship life as they are included in the Old Testament Canticle from the Prayer and Preaching order of service.

The psalmist will recall the acts of God’s mercy as He protected the children of Israel through the years of their wondering. “Egypt was glad when they departed…He spread a cloud for a covering and fire to give light by night. They asked, and he brought quail and gave them bread from heaven in abundance. He opened the rock and water gushed out; if flowed through the desert like a river.”

Like Israel, are we quick to give no thought to God’s miracles? Like Israel, do we often fail to remember God’s many kindnesses and rebel? Like Israel, can we soon forget and grow impatient in our waiting – especially through trials or suffering?

It does us good to recall and remember the Lord’s dealings with us in the past. We praise God for His past mercies as we anticipate further kindnesses to come. As we begin yet another week we pray for the Lord’s guidance.

Today we pray from the psalms:

Lord, “You word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. (Psalm 119:105) Send out your light and your truth; let them lead me; let them bring me to your holy hill and to your dwelling! (Psalm 43:3) You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. (Psalm 16:11) For you are my rock and my fortress; and for your name's sake you lead me and guide me. (Psalm 31:3)

Almighty and eternal God, our refuge in every danger, to whom we turn in our distress; in faith we pray, look with compassion on the afflicted, grant comfort to mourners, healing to the sick, peace to the dying, strength to healthcare workers, wisdom to our leaders, and the courage to reach out to all in love, so that together we may give glory to your holy name.[1]

[1] https://www.thebostonpilot.com/opinion/article.asp?ID=187397
Image: Jesus the Christ, copyright Ed Riojas, Higher Things

Proper 13 - Series A

Proper 13 – Series A

(6 August 2023)

Series A

Isaiah 55:1–5

Romans 9:1–5 (6–13)

Matthew 14:13–21

Christ Jesus, the Living Bread from Heaven, Feeds the Children of God

By the Gospel of “the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever” (Rom. 9:5), we are “the children of God” (Rom. 9:8), “not because of works but because of him who calls” (Rom. 9:11). Therefore, “listen diligently” and “hear, that your soul may live.” By His sacrificial death in His flesh and blood, He has made “an everlasting covenant” for us. Since He now calls us to Himself, we come to Him “and eat what is good, and delight … in rich food” (Is. 55:2–3). He has come with divine compassion to save us from sin and death and to feed us with Himself. As our Lord Jesus once took bread, “said a blessing,” broke the loaves “and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds” (Matt. 14:18–19), He also now takes bread, blesses it by His Word to be His very body, and distributes it to His Church by the hand of His called and ordained servants. Just as “they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces,” there is more than enough for His whole Church to eat and to be satisfied (Matt. 14:20).

You Give Them Something to Eat

“They need not go away; you give them something to eat.” (Matthew 14:16)

In the account of the miraculous feeding of the 5,000, Jesus invites His apostles to feed a crowd which likely exceeded 15,000 people! How could the Apostles obtain sufficient food for this mandate? Interestingly the Apostles would be the ones to distribute this miraculous meal, but they were not the ones to purchase or create it. Jesus blessed the bread and fish, then Sunday’s Gospel records, “Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds.” (v 19b).

Through the centuries theologians have seen a connection between the feeding of the 5,000 and the feeding of God’s people in the Lord’s Supper. Parallel to the Eucharist, Jesus blesses the food, breaks the bread, and then gives to the Apostles for distribution. Though this meal for the 5,000 men is NOT a celebration of the Lord’s Supper, yet it is a Holy Supper celebrated in the presence of the One who blessed the food. Though we cannot see the Lord Christ when we partake of the Lord’s Supper, yet He is every bit as present as when He fed the 5,000. Interestingly early church art also frequently depicted the Lord’s Supper as a meal of fish, no doubt calling to mind all the miraculous fish-meals blessed by Jesus, uniquely reminiscent of the miraculous feeding of the 5,000 and then the feeding of the 4,000. Oscar Cullmann explains, “Early Christian art frequently represents the Lord’s Supper under the form of a meal of fish.”[1]

A person seeking Christian truth might ask how it is possible that Christ could, in Holy Communion, sacrificially feed the millions of Christians throughout the centuries with His “finite” body and blood. As if anticipating this question, Jesus, as recorded in all four Gospels, fed the 5,000 men with five loaves and two fish—with more left after the meal than when the meal began. Including women and children, the number that Jesus fed likely exceeded 15,000! Christ truly and miraculously fed around 15,000 people with merely a handful of bread and fish. If Christ can feed 15,000 with the truly finite elements of fish and bread, can He not feed millions His body in which the fullness of deity dwells? In the Lord’s Supper Christ, though His flesh and blood are truly eaten, is not consumed or used up; the body and blood of Christ will not run out, something taught by the continually flowing bread in this miraculous feeding of the 15,000.

As the Apostle Paul rehearses the foundational meaning of the Sacrament of the Altar in his first letter to the Corinthians, he rhetorically reminds us, “The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?” (10:16). Though this verse is rightly used to explain the belief in the Real Presence, note also that Apostolic distribution of the Sacrament underlies the verse. The cup of blessing that WE BLESS…The bread that WE BREAK. The “we” doing the blessing of the cup and the breaking of the bread is indeed the Apostles and then those who carry on this Apostolic work as pastors. Though Christ’s blessing at the institution of the Sacrament is the source and power behind the miracle of the Lord’s Supper, yet even as He told the Apostles at the feeding of the 5,000, “…you give them something to eat,” so it continues today as the Apostles and those continuing their work are called upon to give God’s people the holiest food. It is a food far holier than the bread and fish in the feeding of the 5,000, for it is the very body and blood of God.

[1] Oscar Cullmann and F. J. Leenhardt, Essays on the Lord’s Supper, (London: Lutterworth Press, 1958), First Essay: “The Breaking of Bread and the Resurrection Appearances,” 10.

Rev. Dr. Daniel J Brege

Romans 9:2 I have great regret/grief unceasing sorrow...because they have thrown Christ off...there is no hope...they have confidence in themselves, their heritage, their background...

V. 8 is critical -

Matthew 14:13–21

Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand

Matthew 14.13

Ἀκούσας δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἀνεχώρησεν ἐκεῖθεν ἐν πλοίῳ εἰς ἔρημον τόπον κατ’ ἰδίαν· καὶ ἀκούσαντες οἱ ὄχλοι ἠκολούθησαν αὐτῷ πεζῇ ἀπὸ τῶν πόλεων.

Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a desolate place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns.

Matthew 14.14

καὶ ἐξελθὼν εἶδεν πολὺν ὄχλον, καὶ ἐσπλαγχνίσθη ἐπ’ αὐτοῖς καὶ ἐθεράπευσεν τοὺς ἀρρώστους αὐτῶν.

When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick.

Matthew 14.15

ὀψίας δὲ γενομένης προσῆλθον αὐτῷ οἱ μαθηταὶ λέγοντες· Ἔρημός ἐστιν ὁ τόπος καὶ ἡ ὥρα ἤδη παρῆλθεν· ἀπόλυσον τοὺς ὄχλους, ἵνα ἀπελθόντες εἰς τὰς κώμας ἀγοράσωσιν ἑαυτοῖς βρώματα.

Now when it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves.”

Matthew 14.16

ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· Οὐ χρείαν ἔχουσιν ἀπελθεῖν· δότε αὐτοῖς ὑμεῖς φαγεῖν.

But Jesus said, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.”

Matthew 14.17

οἱ δὲ λέγουσιν αὐτῷ· Οὐκ ἔχομεν ὧδε εἰ μὴ πέντε ἄρτους καὶ δύο ἰχθύας.

They said to him, “We have only five loaves here and two fish.”

Matthew 14.18

ὁ δὲ εἶπεν· Φέρετέ μοι ὧδε αὐτούς.

And he said, “Bring them here to me.”

Matthew 14.19

καὶ κελεύσας τοὺς ὄχλους ἀνακλιθῆναι ἐπὶ τοῦ χόρτου, λαβὼν τοὺς πέντε ἄρτους καὶ τοὺς δύο ἰχθύας, ἀναβλέψας εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν εὐλόγησεν καὶ κλάσας ἔδωκεν τοῖς μαθηταῖς τοὺς ἄρτους οἱ δὲ μαθηταὶ τοῖς ὄχλοις.

Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass, and taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds.

Matthew 14.20

καὶ ἔφαγον πάντες καὶ ἐχορτάσθησαν, καὶ ἦραν τὸ περισσεῦον τῶν κλασμάτων δώδεκα κοφίνους πλήρεις.

And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over.

Matthew 14.21

οἱ δὲ ἐσθίοντες ἦσαν ἄνδρες ὡσεὶ πεντακισχίλιοι χωρὶς γυναικῶν καὶ παιδίων.

And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.

Time in the Word - Proper 13

July 31 – August 05 2023

The day emphasizes God’s love in providing for all our needs. Our physical needs are met by Christ in the feeding of five thousand. In the Old Testament lesson we are invited to come to God for spiritual food. God also provides us with love form which we cannot be separated by the world. (Epistle lesson) Compassion motivates Jesus to feed the five thousand. Love causes God to invite us to come and enter into a covenant with Him. God, moreover, will not allow the world to separate us from His love. In the Collect for the day we acknowledge that God has given us all we have and we ask that our material wealth might be a blessing rather than a curse.

Collect for Proper 13 –Heavenly Father, though we do not deserve Your goodness, still You provide for all our needs of body and soul. Grant us Your Holy Spirit that we may acknowledge Your gifts, give thanks for all Your benefits, and serve You in willing obedience; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

“Pour out upon us, O Lord, the Spirit to think and do what is right, that we, who cannot even exist without you, may have the strength to live according to your will.”

For blessing on the Word – Lord God, bless Your Word wherever it is proclaimed. Make it a word of power and peace to convert those not yet Your own and to confirm those who have come to saving faith. May Your Word pass from the ear to the heart, from the heart to the lip, and from the lip to the life that, as You have promised, Your Word may achieve the purpose for which You send it; through Jesus Christ, my Lord.

A simple yet heartfelt Prayers – “Almighty God, grant us a steadfast faith in Jesus Christ, a cheerful hope in Your mercy, and a sincere love for You and one another.”

A prayer before we study the Word – Almighty God, our heavenly Father, without Your help our labor is useless, and without Your light our search is in vain. Invigorate the study of Your holy Word that, by due diligence and right discernment, we may establish ourselves and others in Your holy faith.

Monday, July 31, 2023 – Psalm 105:39-43 - This is the Psalm portion from which the Introit for next Sunday is taken. The antiphon is taken from verse 1, “Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon His name; make known His deeds among the peoples!” The psalmist encourages us to give thanks. We give thanks to God through our praises. We call upon Him in prayer. These two commands – to call upon the name of the Lord and to praise Him – highlight the rest of the psalm in which the author gives ten imperatives or exhortations. Praise and prayer are expressions of devotion to the Lord. The Psalmist throughout the Psalm will encourage the reader to celebrate the Lord’s past saving acts and to trust Him for future deliverance and blessing.

Notice at the end of verse 1 we are to tell of the Lord’s mighty deeds among the peoples (among the nations). Missions cannot be separated from the work we do. We reach out to others as we praise the name of our Lord.

Tuesday, August 1, 2023–Isaiah 55:1-5 – God offers food for our souls (spiritual needs). God calls thee hungry and thirsty to come to Him for spiritual food and drink. Can we buy without money or credit cards? There are some things that cannot be bought at any price. Can we buy love, friendship, happiness, or peace? Can we buy friendship with God? The best things in life are not for sale. They come as gifts from God.

Wednesday, August 2, 2023 – Romans 9:1-5 – God blesses us with inseparable love (emotional needs). Paul is desperately concerned for non-Christian Jews. Christ deals with the anxiety for non-Christians especially Jews who had accepted the Gospel. He is so concerned that he would be willing to be excluded from the Kingdom if it were the price of getting the Jews into the Kingdom.

Thursday, August 3, 2023 – Matthew 14:13-21 – God through Christ provides food for our bodies. Jesus feeds five thousand people with five loaves and two fish.

Here is the heartbeat of the miracle. It is a greater factor than the power to bring food for 5,000 out of five loaves of bread. Because of His love for the hurting and the hungry, Jesus is moved to help and heal.

The people are not in a position to help themselves; it is at the end of the day; they are far from civilization; they are out of supplies. To get food at that time and in that place demanded a miracle. This account teaches that Jesus is not only able but willing to help. Contrast this with many contemporary instances when people in trouble are ignored when they cry for help.

The power of the miracle is Christ. The 5,000 are fed with five loaves. He asks that the loaves and fish be brought to Him. He takes the food, gives thanks and breaks the bread until all are fed. The tremendous truth in this act is that man is little and Christ can do great things. This reminds us also that a common meal in the home or out in a field can be a sacramental act of love when the bread is blessed and shared.

Friday, July 4, 2023 –Psalm 136:1-9 – This Psalm is suggested for next Sunday. The theme of thanksgiving continues in the suggested Psalm for this coming week. It is a liturgy of praise to the Lord as Creator and as Israel’s redeemer. Verses 7 to 9 echo Genesis 1:16.

Saturday, August 5, 2023 – Luke 1:68-79 – This passage is the inspiration for the hymn “Jesus Has Come and Brings Pleasure.” {LSB 53}. They are the words of Zachariah as he prophesied concerning Christ at the circumcision of his son John. The words of the prophet are clear. Jesus, the Messiah from the house of David has the power to save and heal.

Sources:

Schnorr von Carolsfeld, woodcuts Zachariah names John, Jesus feeds the 5,000 © WELS Permission to use these copyrighted items is limited to personal and congregational use.

Saturday, July 29, 2023

Pentecost 9 - Proper 12 Series A

Calvary Lutheran Church
Plymouth, IN
Proper 12 - Romans 8:28-29
The Father’s continual goodness

Some of you are engineers. While some of you are draftsmen and accountants and bookkeepers. Some of you may be farmers. While some of you are machinists or work in the medical field. Some of you may be students with many of your teachers sitting in this very room. In your world - mathematical formulas are extremely important. Facts and figures make sense to you!

There is symmetry to the Scriptures…

The heart of Psalm 23 is the phrase, "For Thou art with me." There are exactly 26 Hebrew words before that phrase. And 26 words after it.

What's more, the numerical value of the letters in the divine name, “Yahweh,” equals 26. His name is the first Hebrew word in the psalm, and He is the "Thou" who is "with me."

The abiding presence of the Good Shepherd with us--when we're in the valley of the shadow of death, or surrounded by enemies--is the beating heart of this psalm.

We have now come to the crown jewel of St. Paul’s letter to the Romans. By these words you know the Father’s continual goodness.

“Almighty and everlasting God, give us an increase of faith, hope and love, that, receiving what You have promised, we may love what You have commanded; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.”

These words are a comfort at all times. The one thing that gives believers a sense of security.

Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ

Forever in God’s Love

These words. Are usually read at funerals. For the comfort of the bereaved. These words. Are a comfort. At all times.

Not only at the time of death. These words. Are the one thing that gives Christians a sense of security.

Your peace. Is the assurance of the Father’s love and care. Lose the Lord’s love. And all is lost. To be separated from God’s concern is to be apart from His mercy, acceptance and of life itself.

You are forever in God’s love and care because –

1. Christ conquered our enemies at the cross. “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come…” V. 38

No sin. No attempt of the enemy. Can steal the loving care of God from your life. That makes you more than conquerors through Christ who loves you. The Christian life is not a playground. But a battleground. Some want to live on easy street. They want to kick back. And just count their blessings. That isn’t the way it works.

Says St. Paul, “For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places." —Ephesians 6:12

Yet in your struggles you are not alone. But for you fights the valiant one. Whom God Himself elected!

A. Not even tribulation. Nothing in your present experience. Nor anything to come. Can separate you from the Father's love in Christ. Nothing in all of time. Present or future. Can separate you from the Father's love.

B. According to Paul, death is the final enemy to be destroyed. (1 Corinthians 15:26) Nothing in this life. And nothing in death can separate a believer from the Father's love. The things you fear most in this world; dying and living, are not threats to your eternity. Whether you live or die. You are in His love and care. Jesus won't ever let you go. You have security that is a matter of life and death.

C. Evil powers. They surround you. On every side. But you are in Christ. Nothing will befall you without His knowledge or consent. The Savior has promised; “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.” – Matthew 10:29

“Look at the birds of the air: They do not sow or reap or gather into barns--and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” Matthew 6:26

Transition: Dankness cannot put out darkness. The Psalmist David reminds us; Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; Only light can do that. - that shadow is cast by the light. The light of Christ.

The light of Christ.

2. Faith in Christ gives us the victory. “In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” V. 37 We are conquerors only “through [Christ] who loved us.”

At another time Paul wrote, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”(Philippians 4:13) Christians do conquer. But NOT on their own power. It is Christ who gives the strength to overcome all enemies. “…for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” – 1 John 4:4

A. That great exchange. The Father’s mercy replacing your misery and sin.

B. Purchased and won for you at the bloody cross. That was the purpose of Christ’s suffering and death. That you might be His own. And live under Him in His kingdom. And serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness.

Just as He is risen from the dead. Lives and reigns to all eternity. “…even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” – Matthew 20:28

Transition: The problems of this world are here and now. They are all around us. We do not war against flesh and blood. You do not war against people. They are merely being used. As pawns. You war in order to set them free. How do we war? Through Jesus Christ. Because He already defeated those evil powers on His cross. Expressing the Father’s love.

3. The Father’s love will not let you go. “…no powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” V. 39 Nothing in the universe can separate us from the love of God. It is impossible. Because on the cross Christ defeated all evil powers. In Christ you conquer.

What does it mean to be separated from the love of God? Sin is separation from God. To be apart from God is to be deprived of God’s light, life, and love. Separation is the worst possible experience. This, then, constitutes good news. No suffering or evil power can separate you from the love of God.

Satan lacks the power to steal your eternal destiny. He cannot separate you from the love of God. Nothing you face worries your heavenly Father in the least. If you are His children through faith in His Son. Then you have His pledge of love and protection.

Jesus said, "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand." - John 10:27–29

A. You are loved. “This is how God’s love was revealed among us: God sent His one and only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him. And love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” - 1 John 4:8-10

B. You are forever in Christ’s care. In baptism, you are sealed with the Holy Spirit and marked as Christ’s own forever. In baptism, the Father claims you as His own children.

C. And He tells you that you are loved. In baptism. You are joined with the family of faith, the Church, the Body of Christ. As you are incorporated into the life and the mission of Christ’s work in the world.

There are two extremes you need to avoid. Pride and despair. Says Luther,” If you are a "bruised reed," do not bruise yourself further nor let Satan bruise you, but give yourself to Christ, who is a friend to us and who loves crushed and broken spirits…This is the first and most powerful sacrifice. Then, when you have thus acknowledged God to be the Justifier of sinners, if you sing God even one song of thanks, you add another sacrifice, namely, a sacrifice of recompense or thanksgiving for the gifts you have received. This sacrifice is not merit but a confession and testimony of the grace which your God has bestowed upon you out of sheer mercy.” (Luther's Works AE 12, p. 409).

Why do we gather? To be encouraged by the message of Christ. These words. Are your confidence, security, and hope. In this world you will face discord and strife. It is these words which give you the blessed assurance. That in Christ you conquer and win the victory.

Luther’s Seal © Ed Riojas, Higher Things

Words – 1,575
Passive Words –10.8 %
Readability –83 %
Reading Level –4.0

Friday, July 28, 2023

– Saturday prior to Proper 12

[1]

Joshua 24:16 –This passage is the inspiration for the hymn, “From God can nothing move me” {LSB 524}. The people react to Joshua’s commitment to serve the Lord. The people respond, “We will not serve other gods.” If we say of the Lord, “He is our God,” we cannot serve any other.

Ironically this hymn was written specifically for friends fleeing the 1563 plague in Erfurt to comfort them on their journey. Johann Sebastian Bach used several of Helmbold’s hymn texts in his cantatas, and stanza five of Von Gott Will Ich Nicht Lassen appears in Bach’s O heilges Geist-und Wasserbad (O holy bath of Spirit and Water).

The hymn is set to the tune VON GOTT WILL ICH NICHT LASSEN. This is probably the most well-known hymn of Ludwig Helmbold, a German philosophy professor and poet of Lutheran hymns.

Stanza three reads as follows:
The Lord my life arranges;
      Who can His work destroy?
      In His good time He changes
      All sorrow into joy.
      So let me then be still:
      My body, soul, and spirit
      His tender care inherit
      According to His will.

From Exodus 3, when Moses meets God, the great I AM, in the burning bush. There the I AM says to Moses, “I have surely seen the affliction of My people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry. … I know their sufferings, and I have come to deliver them.”

Here, even in the Old Testament, the Lord comes to His people to comfort them. In the face of temptation, trial, and even slavery, the Lord arranges our lives. None can destroy his work—not chariots, not Pharaoh and all his hosts, not even Satan.

We need only be still, for He who led His people Israel out of bondage in Egypt still comes to us with tender care to protect and strengthen us in body, soul, and spirit.

Stanza Five
      Praise God with acclamation
      And in His gifts rejoice.
      Each day finds its vocation
      Responding to His voice.
      Soon years on earth are past;
      But time we spend expressing
      The love of God brings blessing
      That will forever last!

How are we to respond to these great gifts? We shall praise God and rejoice in His kindness! Just as He continues to come to us daily, exactly where He promises to be, we daily find our response and our purpose in Him, following His voice as He reveals it to us in Holy Scripture.

And though we know our earthly days are limited, our Christian vocation is everlasting. We are freed in Christ to express the love of God in service to our neighbor and in acclamation we return to heaven. Those blessings Christ gives to us; and the blessings Christ gives to His people through His gifts and through us, His servants, are everlasting—even beyond the tomb of earthly death.[2]

A Collect For blessing on the Word – Lord God, bless Your Word wherever it is proclaimed. Make it a word of power and peace to convert those not yet Your own and to confirm those who have come to saving faith. May Your Word pass from the ear to the heart, from the heart to the lip, and from the lip to the life that, as You have promised, Your Word may achieve the purpose for which You send it; through Jesus Christ, my Lord.[3]

[1] Te Deum copyright © Ed Riojas, Higher Things
[2] https://blog.cph.org/worship/hymn-of-the-month-from-god-can-nothing-move-me
[3] Lutheran Service Book © 2006 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis

Thursday, July 27, 2023

Friday prior to Proper 12

Psalm 125 – is the suggested Psalm for this coming Sunday. This psalm speaks of Israel’s peace in testimony, prayer, and benediction. Bible scholars believe it was written after the exile when those held in Babylonian captivity were allowed to return to the Jewish homeland.

This psalm was most likely prayed as part of the liturgy in the Jewish worship service. Thus, the Psalms we pray in worship reach back into the Old Testament. Through the centuries, our prayers have remained constant. Literally, for thousands of years, God’s people have uttered this same prayer. This links us to generations past present and future. In an age when we are tempted to cater to specific age brackets the psalms unite us linking and connecting us throughout the generations of time.

The psalmist assures us—“For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest on the land allotted to the righteous.” – V.3 From the beginning, a gracious and all-powerful Ruler was designed for his people; David’s ‘greater Son,’ the Lord Jesus Christ. The rule of those who preceded him would never “rest” on the land. Only his rule will continue forever.

This is our security and our destiny toward which we look with rich expectation. We are cared for with the secure protection of the city of Jerusalem which is surrounded by mountains. We have the certainty of a righteous Ruler forever.

We can see why this psalm was chosen for this compilation of the psalms of ascent. As the pilgrim worshipers made their way to Jerusalem from almost any place within the land of Palestine, the journeyed up increasingly higher ground. They felt the same awe we feel in the presence of the majestic mountains. And they sang this song to remind themselves that what they saw around them pictures in graphic ways the security and significance that they have in the LORD.

Lord surround your people with your presence. Do not let us stretch out our hands to evil deeds, not be destroyed by the snares of the enemy, but bring us to share the land prepared for the saints in light, where you love and reign, God, now and forever.[1]

Wednesday, July 26, 2023

Thursday prior to Proper 11

Matthew 13:24-30; 36-43 –Jesus explains the parable of the wheat and the weeds at the request of His disciples. That’s a good thing! Now we know the meaning of the parable too! The Son of Man (Jesus) sows good seed into the field of the world, producing children of the kingdom. The devil, on the other hand, sows bad seed, producing evildoers. At the end of the age, that is, at the end of all time – angels will remove from the kingdom all evildoers. When that happens, then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.

This parable teaches that we are not to judge who is a true or false Christian. We are not to weed out the weeds because in doing so, we would destroy the wheat. On the Day of Judgment God only will judge and separate the weeds and the wheat. Until that time comes the church needs to have patience and forbearance of the weeds among the wheat.

The wheat (good) and the weeds (bad) are in the kingdom, not in the world. We could understand it if the parable applied to the world where there are all kinds of people. The kingdom of heaven is the kingdom of God, and the kingdom of God is God’s realm, God’s people, the church. The church of God consists of good and evil, wheat and weeds.

According to this parable, every church consists of wheat and weeds. Who is to determine who the weeds are? Who are we to judge? Since Jesus teaches that we should allow the weeds to remain, why try to decide who weeds are? Only God knows who are genuine believers, and members of the invisible church.

Weeds look like wheat — hypocrites. You cannot tell the difference between believers and make believers. Both live together in the Kingdom. Their behavior is similar. The only difference – one has faith the other not.

The weeds are so much like the wheat that only God can tell the difference. The Church is invisible to us. We can’t tell who has faith and who does not have faith. Only the Father Himself knows the heart of men. Only He knows the difference.

O God, so rule and govern our hearts and minds by Your Holy Spirit that, ever mindful of Your final judgment, we may be stirred up to holiness of living here and dwell with You in perfect joy hereafter; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

The Crucifixion copyright © Schnorr Von Carolsfeld woodcuts © WELS permission granted for personal and congregational use
Collect for Proper 11, Lutheran Service Book © 2006 Concordia Publishing House, St, Louis

Tuesday, July 25, 2023

– Wednesday prior to Proper 12

Romans 8: 28-39 - Some of you are engineers. While some of you are draftsmen and accountants and bookkeepers. Many of you are farmers. While some of you are machinists or work in the medical field. Some of you may be students studying the sciences. In your world mathematical formulas are extremely important. Facts and figures make sense to you!

There is symmetry to the Scriptures…

The heart of Psalm 23 is the phrase, "For Thou art with me." There are exactly 26 Hebrew words before that phrase. And 26 words after it.

What's more, the numerical value of the letters in the divine name, “Yahweh,” equals 26. His name is the first Hebrew word in the psalm, and He is the "Thou" who is "with me."

The abiding presence of the Good Shepherd with us--when we're in the valley of the shadow of death, or surrounded by enemies--is the beating heart of psalm 23.[1]

We have now come to the crown jewel of St. Paul’s letter to the Romans. By these words you know the Father’s continual goodness.

The Father’s love will not let you go. “…no powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” V. 39 Nothing in the universe can separate us from the love of God. It is impossible. Because on the cross Christ defeated all evil powers. In Christ you conquer. What does it mean to be separated from the love of God? Sin is separation from God. To be apart from God is to be deprived of God’s light, life, and love. Separation is the worst possible experience. This, then, constitutes good news. No suffering or evil power can separate you from the love of God.

Satan lacks the power to steal your eternal destiny. He cannot separate you from the love of God. Nothing you face worries God in the least. If you are His children through faith in His Son, then you have His pledge of love and protection.

You are loved. “This is how God’s love was revealed among us: God sent His one and only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him. And love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” - 1 John 4:8-10

You are forever in Christ’s care. In baptism, you are sealed with the Holy Spirit and marked as Christ’s own forever. In baptism, the Father claims you as His own children. And tells you that you are loved. You are joined with the family of faith, the Church, the Body of Christ. As you are incorporated into the life and the mission of Christ’s work in the world

[1] Blog post from Chad Bird posted July 26, 2017
[2] Collect for Proper 12, Lutheran Service Book © 2006 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis.

Monday, July 24, 2023

Tuesday prior to Proper 12

Deuteronomy 7:6-9 - The Lord is the faithful God, keeping His covenant of love. We are loved and blessed because the Lord first loved us. Yet this love must be reciprocated by His people to others. Thus in the New Testament we are reminded, “We love because He first loved us” {1 John 4:19}.

God’s faithfulness is guaranteed in his oath concerning his people.

He swore to Abraham to bless his seed and to bring blessing to the nations through his seed (v. 8). The oath is found in Genesis 22:16–18. This is the basis of his choosing of Israel.

That oath includes blessing for us. It was kept, and still is kept, ultimately in Christ’s work and applies to all the believing children and heirs of Abraham, including Gentiles with faith. (See Hebrews 6:13–19; Galatians 3:7ff.). Now both Jews and Gentiles who trust in Christ are the new Israel and may trust that the Lord is faithful never to leave nor forsake them.

All Christians are called to the holy purpose of faithfully serving and testifying to the Lord who has redeemed them. We are the new Israel, a holy “nation” to tell of his wonderful deeds to a world that still needs his marvelous light.[1]

[1] https://concordiatheology.org/2014/07/proper-12-%E2%80%A2-deuteronomy-76-9-%E2%80%A2-july-27-2014/
Image “God so loved the world” copyright © Ed Riojas, Higher Things
Prayer from Lutheran Service Book © 2006 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis

Sunday, July 23, 2023

– Monday prior to Proper 12

Psalm 105:2-6 –This is the Psalm portion from which the Introit for next Sunday is taken. The antiphon is taken from verse 1, “Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name; make known His deeds among the peoples!” No doubt, these words sound familiar to your ears. They are sung as part of the Old Testament canticle in the Service of Prayer and Preaching.

The Service of Prayer and Preaching is wonderful service to be used on Sunday mornings where Communion is not being celebrated. From Henry Gerike's 2012 post in “Unwrapping the Gifts,” a bi-monthly publication of the LCMS' Worship Ministry.

“One of the contributions of the Lutheran Service Book to the worship life of many congregations is the “Service of Prayer and Preaching” (LSB 260-267). It is a service that provides a liturgical structure for services in which the Lord’s Supper is not celebrated. While most will be probably use this service on a Sunday morning, it can easily be used at other times of the day.”[1]

The “Old Testament Canticle” is a setting of Isaiah 12:2b-6 by composer Phillip Magness that can be sung by the entire congregation or with congregation only singing the refrain and a soloist or choir singing the verses.

This historical psalm was evidently composed by King David. The first fifteen verses of this Psalm were used as a hymn at the carrying up of the ark from the house of Obededom, It is recorded in 1 Chronicles 16:7, "Then on that day David delivered first this psalm to thank the Lord, into the hand of Asaph and his brethren." Such a song was suitable for the occasion, for it describes the movements of the Lord's people and His guardian care over them in every place.

This psalm reminds us that the Lord keeps His promises. They are for you. As you begin another week reflect on the promises fulfilled in Jesus’ life, sufferings, death and resurrection. Jesus’ words and actions are for you!

God our Father, through the death and resurrection of Your Son You have fulfilled the promise to Abraham, Joseph and Moses to redeem the world from slavery and to lead us into the promised land. Grant us living water from the rock and bread from heaven, that we may survive our desert pilgrimage and praise You forever, through Jesus Christ our Lord.[2]

[1] http://www.wrestlingwiththeology.org/wiki/index.php?title=08_Prayer_Services
[2] Prayer for Psalm 105, For All the Saints, A Prayer Book For and By the Church Volume II copyright © 1995 American Lutheran Publicity Bureau Delhi, NY
Image copyright © Ed Riojas, Higher Things