Pentecost 8 - Proper 14 Time in the Word

Christ the Crucified Comes to Save Us by the Word of Faith

The Lord who “laid the foundation of the earth” (Job 38:4) is the Author and Giver of life who governs all things by His Word. His wisdom and power are beyond our understanding, except as He reveals Himself in the incarnate Word, Christ Jesus. He has “entered into the springs of the sea” and “walked in the recesses of the deep” (Job 38:16), and He draws near to us in mercy. We have been “a long way from the land, beaten by the waves,” and tossed about by hostile winds (Matt. 14:24). In our mortality and sinful unbelief, we do not always recognize the Lord Jesus. But as we cry out in fear, He speaks tenderly to us: “Do not be afraid,” and He reaches out His hand to save us (Matt. 14:27, 31). “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Rom. 10:13), and now we call upon Him in faith, because we have heard “through the Word of Christ” (Rom. 10:17). “The Word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (Rom. 10:8).

Collect for the Eighth Sunday after Pentecost: Almighty and most merciful God, preserve us from all harm and danger that we, being ready in both body and soul, may cheerfully accomplish what You want done; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Prayer for steadfast faith: Almighty God, our heavenly Father, because of Your tender love toward us sinners You have given us Your Son that, believing in Him, we might have everlasting life. Continue to grant us Your Holy Spirit that we may remain steadfast in this faith to the end and finally come to life everlasting; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns...

Prayer in time of spiritual doubt and affliction: Almighty God, our heavenly Father, You have given to all who believe exceedingly great and precious promises. Grant us Your Holy Spirit that we may without all doubt trust in Your Son, Jesus Christ, so that our faith in Your sight may never be found wanting; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns...

Prayer in time of unseasonable weather: Lord God, gracious and merciful Father, because You have promised that You will hear us when we bring You our cares, we implore You not to deal with us according to our sins but according to Your mercy. Send seasonable weather so that in due time the earth may yield her increase. Remind us ever to receive with thanks our daily bread, trusting You as our gracious God; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns...

Prayer for agriculture: Almighty God, You bless the earth to make it fruitful, bringing forth in abundance whatever is needed for the support of our lives. Prosper the work of farmers and all those who labor to bring food to our table. Grant them seasonable weather that they may gather in the fruits of the earth in abundance and proclaim Your goodness with thanksgiving; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns...

Monday, 1 August 2011—Psalm 34:4–8; Antiphon, Psalm 34:1—1 Samuel 21:10–15 provides the background story to this psalm. David, the one chosen by God to be king, lost his faith in a moment of weakness when pursued by King Saul and his armies, and sought refuge with the Philistines, the enemy of Israel. David realized his mistake and the truth of what he declares in verse 8: Blessed is the man who takes refuge in the LORD! When we are tempted to look elsewhere than to the LORD for rescue, let us also remember this psalm of David, and then bless the LORD at all times.

Tuesday, 2 August 2011—Psalm 18:1–6—It is likely that King David wrote this psalm near the end of his life, as it is very similar to the psalm recorded in 2 Samuel 22, just before his last words. Here he recounts many of the terrible situation in which he found himself over the course of his life, and tells how the LORD delivered him. He says, In my distress I called upon the LORD; to my God I cried for help. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears. When we find ourselves in bad situations, we ought to remember that the LORD has already delivered us from sin, death, and everlasting condemnation, and that He stands ready to defend us throughout our lives.

Wednesday, 3 August 2011—Job 38:4–18—Job had questioned God, as to why He would let such great calamities befall him. In response, the Lord answers Job by recounting His creation of all things, His ongoing involvement and dominion over that creation. God is not subject to nature; nature is subject to God. We weak humans, created beings that we are, have no right to question our benevolent Creator, but simply to trust that what He does, he does for our benefit.

Thursday, 4 August 2011—Romans 10:5–17—How are we saved? By grace alone (sola gratia) by faith alone (sola fide).in the merits of Christ alone (solus Christus). This salvation extends to Jews and Gentiles (non-Jews) alike. But how are we to receive such saving faith? By Scripture alone (sola scriptura). Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. That is why Paul quotes Isaiah: How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news! For the preaching of the Good News of the Gospel engenders saving faith.

Friday, 5 August 2011—Matthew 14:22–33—We can see ourselves in Peter. Jesus asks him to do the impossible, and Peter, full of bravado, believes he can. However, when he takes his eyes off of Jesus, he falters, and is at risk of perishing. Likewise, when we avert our eyes from Jesus, we lose faith and confidence, and put ourselves in spiritual jeopardy. When we cry out, Lord, save me, Jesus rescues us, lest we drown in our sin and unbelief and are lost forever.

Saturday, 6 August 2011—Sunday’s hymn of the day is Eternal Father, Strong to Save (LSB #717). The first stanza, from the original Navy Hymn, proclaims the supremacy of our heavenly Father over the sea. The next two stanzas declare the authority of the Son and the Holy Spirit over the land and the air, respectively. Finally, the fourth stanza affirms the sovereignty of the Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, over all our foes. Let us put our trust in God alone for protection from all our enemies, whether physical or spiritual.

This week's Time in the Word is written by Pr.Jeffrey M. Keuning pastor of St John Casey and Zion, Dexter IA of the Iowa West District LCMS

Lectionary summary on front page from LCMS Commission on Worship
Artwork by Julius Schnoor von Carolsfeld, © WELS
Prayers from Lutheran Service Book © 2006 Concordia Publishing House and Luther’s Small Catechism

Church Expansion -week 7

Framing of gathering area

South Door

North Door

Window in the gathering area

Framing of gathering area

Basement

Pentecost 7 - Proper 13

Proper 13 (31 July—6 Aug)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.

The Lord’s Gracious Invitation to the hungry - Matthew 14:13-21

Jesus feeds 5,000 with five loaves and two fish. More than any other episode, the feeding of 5,000 is related six times. Apparently, this fact points to the importance with which the apostolic church held it. The account shows us Jesus’ power over nature, and his use of the disciples in feeding the multitude. Several items are noteworthy: Jesus’ compassion for the needy, his power to make so much of so little, the partnership of the disciples, and the oversupply of food.

The miracle of feeding 5,000 with five loaves is a vehicle that carries several important truths. If we see only a miracle, we miss the point. Apparently this episode was very important to the apostolic church because all four Gospels give an account of this miracle. People need to learn the lessons of this lesson. Permanent values in this miracle —

1. Christ is able to feed us — Vv. 19-20.
And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.

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.

2. Christ is willing to feed us (compassion) — v. 14.
When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick

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.

3. Christ uses human instruments — Vv. 16-19.
Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.” “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered. “Bring them here to me,” he said. And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people.

The people needed physical food. They were plain hungry. Jesus tells the disciples to give the people something to eat. In a world where one-third of the people suffer malnutrition, Jesus has a message to those able to share their food. Jesus is concerned about the physical welfare of people as well as with their souls. There is no dodging this issue by spiritualizing this account to say it refers to the Lord’s Supper, or to Jesus as the second Moses, or to an eschatological banquet. It is to be taken as a concrete, factual situation of real physical hunger which Christians have a responsibility to alleviate.

4. Christ provides abundantly — v. 20.
They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.

The people were satisfied with the quality and the quantity of food. They were filled with food. In fact, they could not eat it all — twelve baskets were filled with leftovers. Here we see the generosity and abundance of God’s provision of our needs. God gives us more than we ask for, more than we need. God does exceeding abundantly above all we ask or think.



Schnorr von Carolsfeld woodcuts © WELS permission granted for personal and congregational use.
Artwork by Ed Rojas © Higher Things© Higher Things

Feeding 5,000 Souls

Sunday's Gospel is the feeding of the 5,000

Some believe that the crowd could have been over 5,000 as only "men" were counted. If you would count "women and children" it could have been up to 15,000.

Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Indiana seats close to 17,000 people....

According to the concessions manager the following items were sold at the Indiana Vs Wisconsin game, on Saturday, March 12, 1994 (per my telephone conversation with him on March 15, 1994)...

¨ 400 1bs of hot dogs,
¨ 3,000 popcorn boxes,
¨ 8,200 cokes (about 1,000 gallons)
¨ 684 candy bars,
¨ 436 nachos,
¨ 284 boxes of caramel corn,
¨ 917 soft pretzels,
¨ 247 polish sausages,
¨ 100 sandwiches,
¨ 179 bags of peanuts,
¨ 50 muffins,
¨ 160 cups of coffee.

This game was played on an afternoon with tipoff scheduled for 2:00 pm Most fans had eaten their breakfast and had probably had their lunch also! And fans had to pay for their food! Jesus feeds the crowd freely, without cost!

When we pray "give us this day our daily bread" we can know that the Savior will supply us with all that we need to support our body and life!

Pentecost 7 - Proper 13 - Time in the Word

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 then 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.

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 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 25, 2011 – 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 give 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, July 26, 2011 –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, July 27, 2011 – 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, July 28, 2011 – Matthew 14:13-21 – God through Christ provides food for our bodies (physical needs). 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 29, 2011 – 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. Vv. 7-9 echoes Genesis 1:16.

Saturday, July 30, 2011 – 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:
LUTHERAN SEVICE BOOK © 2006 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, MO
LECTIONALRY PREACHING WORKBOOK SERIES A © 1980 John Brokhoff CSS Publishing Lima, OH
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.

Pentecost 6 - Proper 12

Proper 12 (24–30 July)
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.

What God will do to prove Himself to you - He spared not His own Son but gave Him up for us all -Romans 8:28-39

In our prayers, the Spirit intercedes for us and God works for our good in everything. As the whole creation groans in travail awaiting redemption, the individual Christian also groans inwardly in prayer. Since we do not know how to pray, the Spirit intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words. In spite of this travail, God works for our good in everything because He predestined, called, justified, and glorified His own. This is for your good.

This verse is one of the most meaningful in the Bible. It tells us about the nature of God and about our situation in life in relation to God. An oft-quoted verse gives people hope in times of trouble. Since all of us have our “downs,” the sermon can be of assurance and hope for the comfort of the troubled. In all things the Father is working for my good because —

1. “God works for good” — A good God works for our good. God desires our welfare at all times. He is a God who knows our condition and cares what happens to us. God is working for my good always. Only a good God works for my good. The Lord desires your welfare at all times. He is a God who knows your needs, fears, trials and desires. He bids you to “take it to the Lord in prayer.” Continue to call upon Him daily. He knows your condition and cares for what is happening to you.

Transition: In all things, the Father is working for your good in every situation in every condition.

2. “In everything.” There is an overruling providence that turns our failures, sorrows, and disappointments into our good. Notice St. Paul’s words. “In everything.” In every circumstance, no matter what it may be we look to Him who has promised to watch over us. There is an overruling providence in the hand of God in your life. He turns your failures, sorrows, disappointments and fears into your good. And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. Matthew 6:28-29

The Lord directs all things in His care. He will direct your circumstances. Your situation does not go unnoticed by Your heavenly Father. What does it mean that He provides for you? Recall these comforting words.

I believe that God has made me and all creatures; that He has given me my body and soul, eyes, ears, and all my limbs, my reason, and all my senses, and still preserves them; in addition thereto, clothing and shoes, meat and drink, house and homestead, wife and children, fields, cattle, and all my goods; that He provides me richly and daily with all that I need to support this body and life, protects me from all danger, and guards me and preserves me from all evil; and all this out of pure, fatherly, divine goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness in me; for all which I owe it to Him to thank, praise, serve, and obey Him. This is most certainly true.

Transition: In all things the Father is working for Your good. In every condition in every circumstance He remains with you. he does this because He loves you.

3. “With those who love Him.” This is not the experience of all people, only those who love God. Those who do not love God, resist His love and go their own way. They go their own way because they have become misdirected. They are missing. They need to be brought back into the fold. In other cases, these are those who have yet to be invited. And so we invite them and encourage them to come, see, and experience our life in Christ.

Almighty God, You are the Protector of all who trust in You. Without whom nothing is strong and nothing is holy. Increase and multiply Your mercy on us that with You as our Ruler and guide we may so pass through things temporal that we lose not the things eternal; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, One God, now and forever.

Church Expansion -week 6

East wall and Basement