Advent is here!!! Christ is coming!!!

Advent is here!!! Christ is coming!!!

It is impossible for us to imagine what it was like to live in the times of the Old Testament.  Every day was Advent.  Jesus had not yet been born.  Christ had not yet come! The people of old could only imagine what we know of Christ’s birth, life, death, and resurrection.

But God had not allowed them to remain in ignorance concerning His plan of salvation and the coming savior. God used the prophets to make known His plans by declaring His promises of redemption through the coming Messiah.

One of the most cherished of prophets is Isaiah.  On page after page of his book, Isaiah points to the coming savior:

 He will be the heir to the throne of David (Is 9:7). He will be born of a virgin (Is 7:14). His ministry will be in Galilee (Is 9:1-2). He will be rejected by the people (Is 53:3). He will be silent when accused (Is 53:7). He will be smitten and spat upon (Is 50:6). He will suffer as a sacrifice (Is 53:4, 5). He will be crucified with sinners (Is 53:12). He will be buried with the rich (Is 53:9). These are but a few of his prophecies.

It is little wonder that the great Lutheran hymn writer, Jaroslav J. Vajda (1919-2008), would write in the third stanza of his much beloved Christmas hymn, “Where Shepherds Lately Knelt”:

How should I not have known Isaiah would be there,

His prophecies fulfilled? With pounding heart I stare:

    A child, a son, the Prince of Peace for me,

    A child, a son, the Prince of Peace for me.

LSB 369

Each Wednesday during this Adventtide we will let Isaiah help us in our preparation as we await once again the celebration of Jesus birth at Christmas.  Always in the background behind the beautiful image of the babe in the manger we will see the cross and the empty tomb.  We will see the forgiveness of sins, life and salvation.  We will see the Savior who will one day come again in glory to bring us to our home with Him.

Pastor Quardokus

Propers Plus for The First Sunday in Advent

The First Sunday in Advent

As We Gather

Advent means coming.  For the last few weeks we have been anticipating Jesus’ second coming at the end of all time.  In the Season of Advent we prepare to celebrate Christ’s first coming all the while keeping our eyes on Jesus’ second coming in triumph and glory. At Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday the crowds recognized the coming of the long promised King.  We know that this King was born in the Royal City of Bethlehem, died in the Regal City of Jerusalem and rules heaven and earth for the sake of His faithful people. He will one day come again to judge both the living and the dead.

Hymn ~ “Savior of the Nations, Come” ............................. LSB 332

Divine Service – Setting 1

Page 151

LIGHTING THE ADVENT WREATH - THE FIRST CANDLE:

P     As we light the first candle on our Advent wreath, we confess that Jesus, the wondrous child, is also the light divine, who came forth from the Father, conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary as the Prophet Isaiah long ago foretold: “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”

C    Savior of the nations, come,

Virgin’s Son, make here Your home!

Marvel now, O heav’n and earth,

That the Lord chose such a birth. Amen.

Introit

Behold, your king is com- | ing to you;*

     righteous and having sal- | vation.

To you, | O Lord,*

     I lift | up my soul.

O my God, in you I trust; let me not be | put to shame;*

     let not my enemies exult | over me.

Indeed, none who wait for you shall be | put to shame;*

     they shall be ashamed who are wantonly | treacherous.

Glory be to the Father and | to the Son*

     and to the Holy | Spirit;

as it was in the be- | ginning,*

     is now, and will be forever. | Amen.

Behold, your king is com- | ing to you;*

     righteous and having sal- | vation.

Ps. 25:1–3; antiphon: Zech. 9:9b, alt.

Collect of the Day

P     Stir up Your power, O Lord, and come, that by Your protection we may be rescued from the threatening perils of our sins and saved by Your mighty deliverance; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Reading from the Book of Concord -

The Augsburg Confession, Article III – The Son of God

Our churches teach that the Word, that is, the Son of God [John 1:14], assumed the human nature in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  So there are two natures—the divine and the human—inseparably joined in one person.  There is one Christ, true God and true man, who was born of the Virgin Mary, truly suffered, was crucified, died, and was buried.  He did this to reconcile the Father to us and to be a sacrifice, not only for original guilt, but also for all actual sins of mankind [John 1:29].

He also descended into hell, and truly rose again on the third day.  Afterward, He ascended into heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father.  There He forever reigns and has dominion over all creatures.  He sanctifies those who believe in Him, by sending the Holy Spirit into their hearts to rule, comfort and make them alive.  He defends them against the devil and the power of sin.

The same Christ will openly come again to judge the living and the dead, and so forth, according to the Apostles’ Creed.

Readings from Holy Scripture

           

Old Testament Lesson                                     Isaiah 64:1–9

        ¹Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down,

        that the mountains might quake at your presence—

        ²as when fire kindles brushwood

        and the fire causes water to boil—

      to make your name known to your adversaries,

        and that the nations might tremble at your presence!

        ³When you did awesome things that we did not look for,

        you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence.

        ⁴From of old no one has heard

        or perceived by the ear,

      no eye has seen a God besides you,

        who acts for those who wait for him.

        ⁵You meet him who joyfully works righteousness,

        those who remember you in your ways.

      Behold, you were angry, and we sinned;

        in our sins we have been a long time, and shall we be saved?

        ⁶We have all become like one who is unclean,

        and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.

      We all fade like a leaf,

        and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.

        ⁷There is no one who calls upon your name,

        who rouses himself to take hold of you;

      for you have hidden your face from us,

        and have made us melt in the hand of our iniquities.

        ⁸But now, O Lord, you are our Father;

        we are the clay, and you are our potter;

        we are all the work of your hand.

        ⁹Be not so terribly angry, O Lord,

        and remember not iniquity forever.

        Behold, please look, we are all your people.

P     Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion.

C    Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem.

P     Behold, your king is coming to you;

C    righteous and having salvation.

P     Blessèd is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

C    From the house of the Lord we bless you.

Zech. 9:9; Ps. 118:26, alt.

Epistle Lesson                                       1 Corinthians 1:3–9

³Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

      ⁴I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, ⁵that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge— ⁶even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you— ⁷so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, ⁸who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

P       Lift up your heads, O gates!

C     And be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in.

Ps. 24:7

Holy Gospel                                                   Mark 11:1–10

¹Now when they drew near to Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples ²and said to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately as you enter it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it. ³ If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord has need of it and will send it back here immediately.’” ⁴And they went away and found a colt tied at a door outside in the street, and they untied it. ⁵And some of those standing there said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” ⁶And they told them what Jesus had said, and they let them go. ⁷And they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it, and he sat on it. ⁸And many spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut from the fields. ⁹And those who went before and those who followed were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! ¹⁰Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!”

Hymn ~ “The Advent of Our King” ........................................ LSB 331

Sermon

The Coming Kingdom

Mark 11:1–10

Offertory ~ “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” ...................... LSB 349

(Stanza 1)

O come, O come, Emmanuel,

And ransom captive Israel,

That mourns in lonely exile here

Until the Son of God appear.

..... Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

Shall come to thee, O Israel!

It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, whose way John the Baptist prepared, proclaiming Him the promised Messiah, the very Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, and calling sinners to repentance that they might escape from the wrath to be revealed when He comes again in glory.  Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:

Distribution Hymns

“Draw Near and Take the Body of the Lord”........... LSB 637

“Jesus Shall Reign”....................................................................... LSB 832

Hymn ~ “Hark the Glad Sound” .................................................. LSB 349

+ Silent Prayer +

All scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Reading from the book of Concord is from Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions-A Readers Edition of the Book of Concord - 2nd edition, Copyright 2005, 2006 Concordia Publishing House

Thanksgiving Service Preview

Thanksgiving Eve and Day Service

By the President of the United States of America.

A Proclamation.

The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God. In the midst of a civil war of unequaled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign States to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere except in the theatre of military conflict; while that theatre has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union. Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defence, have not arrested the plough, the shuttle or the ship; the axe has enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. Population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege and the battle-field; and the country, rejoicing in the consiousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom. No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity and Union.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Seal of the United States to be affixed.


Done at the City of Washington, this Third day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and of the Independence of the Unites States the Eighty-eighth.


By the President: Abraham Lincoln


William H. Seward,
Secretary of State

This proclamation (October 3, 1863) set the precedent for America's national day of Thanksgiving. Prior to this, each state scheduled its own Thanksgiving holiday at different times, mainly in New England and other Northern states.

Prelude “We Praise You, O God” (Te Deum)....... Healey Willan

(Thursday)

Hymn of Thanksgiving “We Praise You, O God”.................. LSB 785

Morning Prayer.............................................................................................. Page 235

Venite ~ O Come, Let Us Sing........................................................... Page 236

Hymn ~ “God of Our Fathers”.......................................................... LW #501

By: Daniel C. Roberts

Reading from The Book of Concord

The Augsburg Confession,

Article XVI, Civil Government 1,2,6,7

Our churches teach that lawful civil regulations are good works of God.  They teach that it is right for Christians to hold political office, to serve as judges, to judge matters by imperial laws and other existing laws, to impose just punishments, to engage in just wars, to serve as soldiers, to make legal contracts, to hold property, to take oaths when required by the magistrates, for a man to marry a wife, or a woman to be given in marriage [Romans 13; 1 Corinthians 7:2].

…Therefore, it is necessary for Christians to be obedient to their rulers and laws. The only exception is when they are commanded to sin. Then they ought to obey God rather than men (Acts 5:29).

Hymn ~ “God Bless Our Native Land”.......................................... LSB 965

God’s Thanksgiving Proclamation                   Deuteronomy 8:1-10

¹“The whole commandment that I command you today you shall be careful to do, that you may live and multiply, and go in and possess the land that the Lord swore to give to your fathers. ²And you shall remember the whole way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not. ³And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. ⁴Your clothing did not wear out on you and your foot did not swell these forty years. ⁵Know then in your heart that, as a man disciplines his son, the Lord your God disciplines you. ⁶So you shall keep the commandments of the Lord your God by walking in his ways and by fearing him. ⁷For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, flowing out in the valleys and hills, ⁸a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive trees and honey, ⁹a land in which you will eat bread without scarcity, in which you will lack nothing, a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills you can dig copper. ¹⁰And you shall eat and be full, and you shall bless the Lord your God for the good land he has given you.

Anthem                                            Thou Visitest the Earth

Thou visitest the earth and blesses it,

and crownest the year with Thy goodness.

Epistle                                                    Philippians 4:6-20

⁶Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. ⁷And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

      ⁸Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. ⁹What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

      ¹⁰I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. ¹¹Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. ¹²I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. ¹³I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

      ¹⁴Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble. ¹⁵And you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving, except you only. ¹⁶Even in Thessalonica you sent me help for my needs once and again. ¹⁷Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit. ¹⁸I have received full payment, and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. ¹⁹And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. ²⁰To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.

Gradual Hymn ~ “Now Thank We All Our God”..................... LSB 895

Holy Gospel                                                   Luke 17:11-19

¹¹On the way to Jerusalem [Jesus] was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. ¹²And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance ¹³and lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” ¹⁴When he saw them he said to them,  “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed. ¹⁵Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; ¹⁶and he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. ¹⁷Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? ¹⁸ Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” ¹⁹And he said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.”

Hymn ~ “Let All Things Now Living”

(Choir)

1.      Let all things now living A song of thanksgiving

          To God the Creator triumphantly raise,

          Who fashion’d and made us, Protected and stay’d us,

          Who guideth us on to the end of our days.

          His banners are o’er us, His Light goes before us,

          A pillar of fire shining forth in the night,

          Till shadows have vanish’d And darkness is banish’d,

          As forward we travel for light into light!

(Congregation)

2.    His law He enforces, the stars in their courses,

       The sun is His orbit, obediently shine.

       The hills and the mountains, the rivers and fountains,

       The deeps of the ocean proclaim Him Divine.

       We, too, should be voicing our love and rejoicing,

       With glad adoration a song let us raise,

       Till all things now living unite in thanksgiving

       To God in the highest, hosanna and praise! Amen

The Creed..... The First Article and Explanation from Luther’s Small Catechism

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.

What does this mean?

I believe that God has made me and all creatures; that He has given me my body and soul, eyes, ears, and all my members, my reason and all my senses, and still takes care of them.

He also gives me clothing and shoes, food and drink, house and home, wife and children, land, animals, and all I have. He richly and daily provides me with all that I need to support this body and life.

He defends me against all danger and guards and protects me from all evil.

All this He does only out of fatherly, divine goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness in me. For all this it is my duty to thank and praise, serve and obey Him.

This is most certainly true.

Hymn ~ “Sing to the Lord of Harvest”........................................ LSB 893

All scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Reading from the book of Concord is from Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions-A Readers Edition of the Book of Concord - 2nd edition, Copyright 2005, 2006 Concordia Publishing House

Advent and the New Church Year

God declares “Behold, I make all things new” (Rev. 21:5). And so our Church Year is renewed with the coming of Advent.  “Newness” in scripture is often associated with Jesus and the Gospel.  Indeed this is especially true with Advent and the New Church Year.

Advent is a time for spiritual renewal as we await our coming Savior.  If you have allowed your devotional life to become less than the best, make Advent a time to refocus your attention on the cross and Christ.  Set aside time each day during Advent to light your own personal Advent wreath and share family devotions.  If you have children, let them share in the lighting and extinguishing of candles.

You may wish to use the excellent Advent devotionalbooklet produced by Lutheran Hour Ministries and titled “Transforming THIS CHRISTMAS” for your daily devotions.  Your devotion time can be enhanced by using the order of Daily Prayer on page 294 in Lutheran Service Book. At least once a week you may choose to use the Responsive Prayers found on pages 282 and 285.

Advent is a time of preparation. Since we know that we must be prepared for Christ’s Second Advent, this preparation should include sober reflection and repentance. Since we are preparing for the joyous celebration of Christ’s First Advent on Christmas, we will want our Advent preparation to be subdued.  We will then break forth in beautiful song with the angels in celebrating our Savior’s birth.  For this reason we do not include the Hymn of Praise (Gloria in Excelsis) in our Sunday worship.

Take note that three of the four Advent Collects call for God to stir up His power and our hearts.  On the third Sunday in Advent we ask God in the Collect that we would rightly respond to the message of John the Baptist who prepared the way of the Lord.

Advent is a time for Hope!  Blue on our altar reminds us of the hope that is ours in Christ.  Hope in this sense is not wishful thinking but a sure expectation of the fulfillment of all of God’s promises in Christ.

Advent is a time for revisiting the prophecies of the Old Testament that are fulfilled in Christ.  Read the first chapters of Matthew and note how often Matthew reports that these events happened to fulfill the prophecies of the comings Savior.  From the giving of His name and virgin birth to His nativity in Bethlehem, Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s great plan of Salvation.

One of the best loved Advent hymns is “O Come, O come, Emmanuel.” It is based on the Great “O” Antiphons.  You may wish to ponder them during Advent by reflecting on the words of hymn 357.

The prophecies and scripture references in this hymn are rich indeed:

Stanza 1: Is. 7:1-14; Ex. 12:31-42; Luke 1:35; Matt. 1:21; 1 Tim. 2:6; Matt. 20:28; Mark 10:45 & Hosea 13:14.

Refrain: Isaiah 59:20; Matt. 1:23; Zech 9:9; 1 Thes. 3:9.

Stanza 2: 1 Cor. 1:18-31; Prov. 1:2-7; Gen 1:31.

Stanza 3: Ex. 3:1-15; Ex. 19:9-13; Ex. 20:1-17.

Stanza 4: Is. 11:1-5, 10, 11; 1 Cor. 15:54-57; 2 Sam. 7:10-11; Ps 80:14-15; Jer. 33:15-16; Rom. 15:12; Rev. 5:5.

Stanza 5: Matt 16:13-19; Is. 22:22; Rev 3:7; 2 Sam 7:13;

Stanza 6: Is 9:2-7; Is 60:1-2; Luke 1:78

Stanza 7: Jer. 10:1-10; Ps 2:6-7; Is 52:7; Hag. 2:7

May God richly bless our Advent preparation and our Christmas celebration that we may more deeply understand and trust in the wonderful love of our Beautiful Savior!

Propers Plus for All Saints Day

ALL SAINTS’ DAY

(observed)

Divine Service Setting One – Page 151

As we Gather: “Sing with all the saints in glory, Sing the resurrection song!” is a wonderful theme for the observance of All Saints’ Day. We here in the Church Militant continue to fight the good fight of faith yet we rejoice that in the Church Triumphant those who have gone before now rest from their struggle with sin and enjoy being with Christ in Paradise. “Life eternal! Heav’n rejoices: Jesus lives who once was dead” are words to sustain us through our earthly pilgrimage.

Processional Hymn:

“Sing With All the Saints in Glory”  LSB 671

(Note: This hymn by William J. Irons was sung at the funeral of President Ronald Reagan. In Lutheran Service Book this hymn is set to the tune Mississippi composed by Dr. William Bradley Roberts, Director of Music Ministry at St. John's Episcopal Church in Washington, D.C..)

Introit

These are the ones coming out of the great tribu- | lation.*

They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood | of the Lamb.

In you, O LORD, do I take refuge; let me never be | put to shame;*

in your righteousness de- | liver me.

For you are my rock and my | fortress;*

and for your name’s sake you lead me and | guide me.

Into your hand I commit my | spirit;*

you have redeemed me, O LORD, | faithful God.

Glory be to the Father and | to the Son*

and to the Holy | Spirit;

as it was in the be- | ginning,*

is now, and will be forever. | Amen.

These are the ones coming out of the great tribu- | lation.*

They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood | of the Lamb.

Rev. 7:14; Ps. 25:20; Ps. 31:3

Collect of the Day

Almighty and everlasting God, You knit together Your faithful people of all times and places into one holy communion, the mystical body of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Grant us so to follow Your blessed saints in all virtuous and godly living that, together with them, we may come to the unspeakable joys You have prepared for those who love You; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Reading from the Book of Concord –

Augsburg Confession Article XXI – Worship of the Saints

Our churches teach that the history of saints may be set before us so that we may follow the example of their faith and good works, according to our calling. For example the emperor may follow the example of David [2 Samuel] in making war to drive away the Turk from his country. For both are kings. But the Scriptures do not teach that we are to call on the saints or to ask the saints for help. Scripture sets before us the one Christ as the Mediator, Atoning Sacrifice, High Priest, and Intercessor [I Timothy 2:5-6]. He is to be prayed to, He has promised that He will hear our prayer [John 14:13]. This is the worship that He approves above all other worship, that He be called upon in all afflictions “If anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father” (1 John 2:1).

First Reading Revelation 7:9–17

⁹After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, ¹⁰and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” ¹¹And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, ¹²saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”

¹³Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?” ¹⁴I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

¹⁵“Therefore they are before the throne of God,

and serve him day and night in his temple;

and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence.

¹⁶They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore;

the sun shall not strike them,

nor any scorching heat.

¹⁷For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd,

and he will guide them to springs of living water,

and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

Epistle Lesson 1 John 3:1–3

¹See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. ²Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. ³And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.

Holy Gospel Matthew 5:1–12

¹Seeing the crowds, [Jesus] went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him.

²And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:

³“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

⁴“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

⁵“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

⁶“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

⁷“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

⁸“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

⁹“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

¹⁰“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

¹¹“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. ¹²Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

Hymn “Oh, How Blest Are They” LSB 679

Hymn ~ “Ye Watchers and Ye Holy Ones” LSB 670

Sing With All the Saints in Glory!

It was once common to hear people refer to a departed loved one as “my sainted mother” or “my sainted father.”  There is certainly nothing wrong with this expression but it is also important to remember that properly understood all Christians are saints!

     As he often does in his letters, the Apostle Paul calls believers saints.  For example in Ephesians 1:1 he writes, “To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus.”

     A saint is a holy person, a person without sin.  In heaven all believers live in total joy and bliss without sinning.  How wonderful that will be for us!

     But there are also holy people on earth!  You are one of them.  Christian people are holy by virtue of the forgiveness of sins.  When your sins are forgiven in Christ, they are totally removed and taken away from you.  You are a saint!

     In addition, not only did Jesus die on the cross for your sins, He also gives you His perfect holiness and righteousness.  When God looks at you He does not see an unrepentant sinner, He sees the holiness and righteousness of Christ.  You are a saint!

     That is why the creed calls us, “The holy Christian Church, the communion of saints.” The Christian Church is a community of saints.  Look around you.  See your fellow saints.

     To be sure, you are still a sinner!  In this life we will never be totally free of our old sinful self.  Through weakness we daily succumb to the temptations of the sinful world and the devil.  Every day of your life here on earth, you are at the same time justified and at the same time a sinner.  We continue to struggle with sin.  Luther says in the Small Catechism

     What does such baptizing with water indicate?

     It indicates that the Old Adam in us should by daily contrition and repentance be drowned and die with all sins and evil desires, and that a new man should daily emerge and arise to live before God in righteousness and purity forever.

     Where is this written?

     St. Paul writes in Romans chapter six:  “We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.”  [Rom. 6:4]

Note:  "Sing With All the Saints in Glory" is a hymn written by William J. Irons.  It is set to various hymn tunes.  The only one that does it justice is a setting by Henry V. Gerike. The music is available at http://store.augsburgfortress.org/store/product/4288/Sing-with-All-the-Saints-in-Glory
Listen to it here

Sniffing Glue--A childhood in Christian pop by Meghan O’Gieblyn

Here's an interesting article about Contemporary Christian Music (CCM).  Honestly, I only have a nodding acquaintance with much about which she speaks.  Her background seems quite foreign to the Lutheran experience when she describes church. Clearly she was deeply into CCM and now no longer calls herself a Christian.  Even if you can't relate to her experience, I think that you will find her story compelling.

Sniffing Glue--A childhood in Christian pop by Meghan O’Gieblyn

Warning:  You'll get the most benefit from reading O'Gieblyn's musings but if you insist on cutting to the chase, here is her message as hard as it might be to hear:

"In trying to compete in this market, the church has forfeited the one advantage it had in the game to attract disillusioned youth: authenticity. When it comes to intransigent values, the profit-driven world has zilch to offer. If Christian leaders weren’t so ashamed of those unvarnished values, they might have something more attractive than anything on today’s bleak moral market. In the meantime, they’ve lost one more kid to the competition."


If that's not quite enough for you, here is her entire final paragraph with my highlighting:

"Despite all the affected teenage rebellion, I continued to call myself a Christian into my early twenties. When I finally stopped, it wasn’t because being a believer made me uncool or outdated or freakish. It was because being a Christian no longer meant anything. It was a label to slap on my Facebook page, next to my music preferences. The gospel became just another product someone was trying to sell me, and a paltry one at that because the church isn’t Viacom: it doesn’t have a Department of Brand Strategy and Planning. Staying relevant in late consumer capitalism requires highly sophisticated resources and the willingness to tailor your values to whatever your audience wants. In trying to compete in this market, the church has forfeited the one advantage it had in the game to attract disillusioned youth: authenticity. When it comes to intransigent values, the profit-driven world has zilch to offer. If Christian leaders weren’t so ashamed of those unvarnished values, they might have something more attractive than anything on today’s bleak moral market. In the meantime, they’ve lost one more kid to the competition."

I don't know what you may think of her ideas but they do deserve some serious contemplation particularly in light of the cover story of this month's Michigan In Touch!