St. Thomas

Almighty and ever-living God, You strengthened Your apostle Thomas with firm and certain faith in the resurrection of Your Son. Grant us such faith in Jesus Christ, our Lord and our God, that we may never be found wanting in Your sight; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. 

Time in the Word - Christmas 1

The theme for the First Sunday after Christmas is The Savior has Come. Coming within just a few days after Christmas, it reflects the spirit and emphasis of Christmas day. Because of this, Christmas 1 tends to be anti-climatic, a let–down from Christmas. This Sunday affords us an opportunity to enter into depth on the meaning of Christmas. This is usually not possible on Christmas, because it is a service of celebration, narration, and special music with much singing of carols. At this service, we now have an opportunity to consider the message of the Incarnation. This will be the last Sunday of the calendar year. Some may be apprehensive of what a new year might bring. In the Gospel lesson Simeon and Anna are very old and desire to depart this life. In the Christ child we find new hope, new life, and the hope of a new year with Christ. 

Monday, 21 December 2015—Psalm 98:1-4; Antiphon, Isaiah 52:10—Christ has come. He has restored our human nature. Now we pray that we may ever be alive in Him as He has come to be obedient to the will of the Father by taking our nature to be our substitute and to follow the Law perfectly for us. We are called now to witness to the nations that they may see the salvation of our God.

Tuesday, 22 December 2015—In Psalm 98 David tells us "sing to the Lord a new song, for He has done marvelous things." This He has done. Jesus has done all things well. He has gotten for us the victory. What are we to do in light of these things? We are to join the Psalmist in His triumphant song. Sing to the Lord this week for He has done so many marvelous things!

Wednesday, 23 December 2015—Jeremiah 31:10-13—God promises to restore captive Israel with prosperity and rejoicing.  Why is there peace and joy during this holiday season? Why is there such happiness? Actually it's quite simple. There is peace and joy today because Jesus has brought about God's salvation to us. Just as the people at the time of Jeremiah were promised that they would be restored back to their homes from a time of captivity we now are at home completely restored and forgiven in Christ.

Thursday, 24 December 2015—Hebrews 2:10-18—Christ identified with us that He might save us from sin and death.  There is only one way for us to receive reconciliation from God and that was for God Himself to identify with us. The writer to the Hebrews tells us how this all came about. It came about when Jesus Christ entered time and space. So what! A skeptical world might ask. Now sin has been dealt with as Christ has removed it once and for all. Now we have an advocate who will help us in our daily battles with sin and temptation in our day-to-day living. This is what makes the Christian faith practical. It works because Christ has worked everything out for us.

Friday, 25 December 2015—Luke 2:25-28—Simeon and Anna recognize Christ in the baby Jesus. When God makes a promise, He is bound to keep it. The Father had promised Simeon that he would not die until he had seen the Lord's Christ.

The moment Mary and Joseph entered the temple, eight days after Jesus was born, Simeon's eyes were opened and he saw Jesus for what He was; He saw Jesus as His Redeemer and Savior. Do we see Jesus the same way that Simeon saw Jesus?  To fully appreciate Christmas we must have the same vision as this old, old man. May God grant us the faith to see Jesus as the only Savior of the world.

Saturday, 26 December 2015—Psalm 90—Psalm 90 is the text for our sermon hymn tomorrow. David reflects on the various stages through life and He concludes that God has been our dwelling place throughout all generations.  From age to age God remains in control. Throughout life God remains constant. In just a few days we will welcome in a New Year. What will transpire in the next year? Only God knows but of this we can be sure God will establish the work of our hands. All will go according to His plan.  Our only prayer needs to be: "Thy will be done Lord, Thy will be done!"

For Christmas – Grant, Almighty God, that the birth of Your only-begotten Son in human flesh may set us free, who through sin are held in bondage; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, One God, now and forever. Amen.

For the Week – Direct us, O Lord, in all our actions by Your gracious favor, and further us with Your continual help that in all our works, begun, continued, and ended in Your name, we may glorify Your holy name and finally by Your mercy receive eternal life; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, One God, now and forever.

Prayer for newness of life in Christ -- Almighty God, give us grace that we may cast away the works of darkness and put upon ourselves the armor of light now in the time of this mortal life in which Your Son, Jesus Christ, came to visit us in great humility, that in the Last Day, when He shall come again in glorious majesty to judge both the living and the dead, we may rise to life immortal; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Prayer for December 24, 2012 – Christmas Eve – O God, You make us glad with the yearly remembrance of the birth of Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Grant that, as we joyfully receive Him as our Redeemer, we may with sure confidence behold Him when He comes to be our Judge; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Prayer for December 25, 2012 – Christmas Day – Almighty God, grant that the birth of Your only-begotten Son in the flesh may set us free from the bondage of sin; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Prayer for December 26, 2012 – St. Stephen, Martyr – Heavenly Father, in the midst of our sufferings for the sake of Christ grant us grace to follow the example of the first martyr, Stephen, that we also may look to the One who suffered and was crucified on our behalf and pray for those who do us wrong; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever  

        

Prayer for December 27, 2012 – St. John, the Evangelist – Merciful Lord, cast the bright beams of Your light upon Your Church that we, being instructed in the doctrine of Your blessed apostle and evangelist John, may come to the light of everlasting life; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Sources:

Prayers from Lutheran Service Book, © 2006 Concordia Publishing House.

Lutheran Worship, ©1980 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis,

Lectionary Preaching Workbook Series C, © 1979 J Brokhoff CSS Publishing Lima OH

Schnorr von Carolsfeld, woodcuts © WELS Permission to use these copyrighted items is limited to personal and congregational use

Katharine von Bora Luther

O God, our refuge and strength, You raised up Your servant Katharina to support her husband in the task to reform and renew Your Church in the light of Your Word. Defend and purify the Church today and grant that, through faith, we may boldly support and encourage our pastors and teachers of the faith as they proclaim and administer the riches of Your grace made known in Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. 

Advent 4

Advent 4

December 20, 2015

Luke 1:39-45

“Blessed is the Woman”

Elizabeth extols the blessedness of Mary. Today there is a fight over Mary. Some want to make Mary equal to God others consider her of little value at all. Elizabeth considered her blessed. Why?

1.   Blessed because Mary was chosen as the mother of the Lord. V 42 “Blessed are you among women and blessed is the child you will bear.”

Mary is just an ordinary girl. Yet, she is chosen by the Father to work His will in this world. Jesus is conceived by the Holy Spirit to fulfill the will of the Father. Jesus is born of a virgin to fulfill Scripture. Jesus came into this world according to a divine plan.  The story of Christmas reminds us that God is in control of all of these events that lead to the birth of Jesus. He is in control of the events of this world and especially is He in control of the events of your life – every single detail!  Nothing is left to chance. If He so orders the events of Mary's life, how much more will He be more then able to order our days to bring them to completion according to His perfect will?   

Transition: Mary is blessed because she has been chosen to be the Mother of Jesus – this is no ordinary child – He is the Savior of the world!

2.      She’s blessed because Mary’s child is the Lord! V 43 – But why am I so favored that the mother of my Lord should come to me?”

As soon as she learns from the angel Gabriel that she will carry Jesus, Mary leaves the tiny village of Nazareth. She leaves to visit her cousin Elizabeth who is expecting. Elizabeth will give birth to John the Baptist. This is not a chance meeting. Everything goes according to plan, the Father's plan. Although we might not be able to see it, there is obviously something miraculous happening here. God is directing these events. Mary, who at this moment is less than a few days pregnant, is caring the Savior of the world within her.

When Mary's voice reaches the ears of the Baptist, John leaps for joy; for he is in the very presence of the holy Son of God. What a miracle, what a blessing for us today. If John can hear the voice of Mary and recognize her voice; if John can recognize the presence of Christ before he is born, should we be surprised that infants today can recognize the voice of their Savior even before they are born?

3.      Blessed because Mary believed the Word of the Lord. V 45 – “Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished”

Christ came into the world to do the will of the Father. In faith, we trust the Father to work His will in us. The will of the Father was simply to do the work of redemption in this world. Jesus came to break the bondage of the devil, death, and sin. He came to be our substitute. He came to live under the Law perfectly. He came to take our sin and to suffer and die for the sin of the world. All He asks of you this day is to believe in this plan of salvation. “Blessed are those who believe that what the Lord has said will be accomplished!”

Mary is truly blessed. Blessed, because she was chosen as the mother of the Lord. Blessed, because Mary’s child is the Lord. Blessed, because Mart believed the word of the Lord. “Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!”

Words –635

Passive Sentences –13%

Readability –79.8

Reading Level -5.2

Adam and Eve

Lord God, heavenly Father, You created Adam in Your image and gave him Eve as his helpmate, and after their fall into sin, You promised them a Savior who would crust the devil's might. By Your mercy, number us among those who have come out of the great tribulation with the seal of the living God on our foreheads, and whose robes have been made white in the blood of the Lamb; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen

Daniel the prophet and the three young men

Lord God heavenly Father, You rescued Daniel from the lion's den and the three young men from the fiery furnace through the miraculous intervention of an angel. Save us now through the presence of Jesus, the Lion of Judah, who has conquered all our enemies through His blood and taken away all our sins as the Lamb of God, who now reigns from His heavenly throne with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Mid-week Advent 3

Mid-week Advent #3

16 December 2015

Philippians 4:4-7

Lord Jesus Christ, we implore You to hear our prayers and to lighten the darkness of our hearts by Your gracious visitation; for your live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

During this Advent/Christmas season may the peace of God which surpasses all understanding be yours today, tomorrow, and for the rest of your lives.  May you know of His peace and joy!  That is my prayer for you this night. Let's see how Paul explains to us that this peace is all made possible.

1.   BE ANXIOUS IN NOTHING That's not always easy to do is it? We can talk about stress during the holidays and there are considerable stresses, which can come our way during this Advent and Christmas season.  We live in anxious anticipation. We want everything to be "just right" and we can fret about so many things. Like Mr. Griswold in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation we want everything to work out perfect. As we know, there are going to be interruptions, which come our way that cannot be avoided.

Sometimes our anxieties are unfounded. The Christmas cards will be mailed; the gifts will be wrapped. All of the plans, chores and errands will eventually get done. The fact of the matter is that Christmas will come and go whether or not we have everything go according to plan. And yes, there are stresses and strains that come up during the holidays, which simply can not be avoided, and yet we worry so often about the small things.

All that being said, there are sometimes real and legitimate concerns that can plague us during the holiday. I have a friend whose department, for which he had worked at for over twenty-five years, was phased out by the company on Christmas Eve! Now that's anxiety that is founded! Possibly it might be an illness, or a loss which comes upon us, which can not be avoided.

Notice, what Paul does not say. He does not say: "don't be anxious" Cares and concerns will come our way and they have a tendency of coming to us at the most inappropriate times. We will become anxious, we will have concerns.  Rather, Paul warns us to be anxious in nothing. In other words, Paul reminds us that we cannot expect to handle our problems by ourselves. Of course not, we’re sinners, and as sinners when we take matters into our own hands we have a tendency to mess things up and make things worse rather than better.  Problems; they tend to loom over us and can drive us to brink of despair. In our lesson for tonight Paul tells us how we should handle those setbacks and hardships, which come our way.  By these words Paul encourages us to…    

2.   BE PRAYERFUL IN EVERYTHING The old axiom goes: "If your problem is big enough to worry about then it's big enough to pray about; and if it isn't too big to pray about then it certainly isn't anything to worry about".  Do you have concerns worries and anxieties? Take it to the Lord in prayer.

Take everything to God in prayer.  This is what Paul reminds us in our text for this evening. In everything; "by prayer and supplication make your requests known to God".  He already knows your need. You're not fooling Him by not praying about it.  The only one whom you are fooling is yourself. Take everything to God in prayer. We pray for two good reasons; God's command and our need.  Do you have a need then pray about it!

3.   BE THANKFUL IN ANYTHING This is difficult. Our anxious moments can cause sleepless nights filled with dread, fear and doubt. Paul tells us to be thankful.  Not thankful that we have a weight and burden but because we already know that help is on the way. David reminds us " I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills from whence cometh my help? My help cometh from the Lord, who hath made heaven and earth" (Psalm 121:1) We thank God because He is able to do far more abundantly then we are able to ask or think. We remain thankful for He can will do for us what we are unable to do. 

THE END RESULT...PEACE. What does Paul mean when he tells us that that peace will be ours?  Peace does not mean the elimination of problems. Sometimes our problem might leave. But as we live in an imperfect world there will be other anxieties that will take their place. Rather the peace that Paul speaks of is a peace, which comes in knowing that Christ will always be with us; that He will never leave us nor forsake us.  This is why Jesus came to this earth on the first Christmas. He came to deliver us from our burden and to set us free from sin, death, and the devil. He came to take our burden to Himself. There is now "peace on earth good will toward men" for God is at peace; at peace at what Christ has done for you and me and what He will continue to do for us in the future. He will sustain us. He will guide us. He will uphold and defend us no matter what might come our way.

 What is my prayer for you this night?  May you know of His peace and joy! May the peace of God, which surpasses all human understanding, be yours tonight, tomorrow, and for the rest of your lives!