Worship for Pentecost 13 - 2010

Thursday after Pentecost 12
Commemoration of Bernard of Clairvaux, Hymnwriter and Theologian
August 19, 2010

The Lord be with you

This coming Sunday is the Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost. We will use the first setting of the morning worship service (page 151) and be celebrating the Lord’s Supper. You may prepare your heart to receive this sacrament by reading Luther’s treatment of it in his Small Catechism. We will start learning a new hymn Sunday, “Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven” (LSB 793). This is another hymn selected by our hymnal review committee. The words of “Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven” were written by Henry F. Lyte (1793-1847). After he was abandoned by his parents, he became the object of the charitable interest of Rev. Robert Burrowes, who paid for his education. His education was first in medicine and then divinity. He was ordained a deacon of the Church of England in 1814 and then a priest in 1815. He wrote the lyrics of two LSB hymns, this one and the well known “Abide with Me.” “Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven” will be our opening hymn.

Our sermon hymn will be “Fight the Good Fight” (LSB 664). Our distribution hymns will be “Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence” (LSB 621), “The Church’s One Foundation” (LSB 644), and “I Lay My Sins on Jesus” (LSB 606). Our closing hymn will be “May God Bestow on Us His Grace” (LSB 824). You may recognize the closing hymn as one recommended by the hymnal review committee that we have already learned. The tune for each of Sunday’s hymns can be heard at “Better Noise” (see link on the side of this page) except for our closing hymn (which could not be done due to copyright restrictions).The appointed lessons are: Isaiah 66:18-23; Hebrews 12:4-24 (25-29); Luke 13:22-30. The text for the sermon is Luke 13:29. The Sermon is titled “Heavenly Residents.”

The video below is of an organist playing “Praises, My Soul, the King of Heaven” If you would like to sing along, the first verse is:

Praise, my soul, the King of heaven;
To His feet your tribute bring;
Ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven,
Evermore His praises sing:
Alleluia, Alleluia!
Praise the everlasting King.



Today is the Commemoration of Bernard of Clairvaux on our liturgical calendar. If you don’t know anything about him, you might want to read my blog post about him.

Preview of the Lessons

Isaiah 66:18-23: These are the closing verses of the book of Isaiah. It speaks of the spread of the Gospel, especially during the generation of the Apostles, the Final Judgment and life beyond that Day. Verse 18 speaks of “their works” and “their thoughts” etc. In the foreground the “they” are unbelieving Jews, those who oppose God and his will. However Isaiah expands this group to include “all flesh.” Therefore, while the reading has its primary fulfillment with Christ and the first generation of believers, it also applies throughout this New Testament Age. The “sign set among them” (19) is Christ, especially his crucifixion and resurrection. The “survivors” are first the Jews who escape the general rejection of Jesus by their fellow Jews, receiving salvation by grace through faith. These go forth with the Gospel into the world (19-20) (the first generation of Jewish believers like Paul and Peter). Many Gentiles receive Christ, some becoming full time ministers in the Church (21). The judgment comes first to the Jews, probably because they have had such a favored history with all their prophets and especially the Messiah coming from them. Verses 22-23 deal with the life after the judgment believers will have. I think the “new heavens and new earth” are real and not metaphorical (though they could be understood metaphorically). As the Bible teaches the resurrection of the body, a new heaven and earth makes sense (we will need something like this as a place to live).

Hebrews 12:4-24 (25-29): This reading picks up where last weeks reading ended. The writer is still urging his readers to remain faithful to Christ. Verses 5-11 reminds us that discipline may not be appreciated when received, but in the end we value what it accomplished in us. Verses 12-17 remind us of certain common temptations we should avoid like the plague, for they can keep us out of heaven. Verses 18-20 speaks of the terrifying experience Israel has at the foot of Mount Sinai and is contrasted with verses 21-24 which gives us a peek into heaven. This is a Law/Gospel contrast.

Luke 13:22-30: This lesson will serve as the foundation for Sunday’s message. Jesus is asked if the number of the saved will be small. He answers with an illustration about a great dinner, but everyone does not get in. To learn more, come to church on Sunday.

Sunday’s Collect

O Lord, You have called us to enter Your kingdom through the narrow door. Guide us by Your Word and Spirit, and lead us now and always into the feast of Your Son, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Gradual (Psalm 34:9, 19, alt.)

Fear the LORD, you his saints,
for those who fear him lack nothing!
Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
but the LORD delivers him out of them all.

Verse (Luke 13:29)

Alleluia. People will come from east and west, and form north and south, and recline at table in the kingdom of God. Alleluia.

Introit

Splendor and majesty are before him;
we will bless the LORD from this time forth and forevermore. Praise the LORD!
Praise the LORD, all nations!
Extol him, all peoples!
For great is his steadfast love toward us,
and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever. Praise the LORD!
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Splendor and majesty are before him;
we will bless the LORD from this time forth and forevermore. Praise the LORD!

Adult Bible Study

We continue our series “Puzzlers and Questions about the Bible.” This Sunday we will look at two questions:

1. Do Enoch & Elijah already have perfect bodies? Will they, too, be judged on The Last Day? [Genesis 5:18-24; 2 Kings 2:1-18]

2. 1 Corinthians 15:51 … we shall not all sleep … and verses 55-57. If all the verses before reference to physical death – is the word death in 55-57 not physical death also?

The name of our study is “Dead Questions.”

Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert