Father of all mercy, God of peace, look in
compassion upon the people of France, and particularly those who have
lost loved ones in the recent terrorist attacks. Grant to them the
comfort that comes from Your Son's victory over death. Heal the injured
and bless those who provide them care. Give to the government officials
Your wise counsel that they may protect their people. Grant that those
who have perpetrated this slaughter may be brought to justice, and
grant them the gift of repentance. We ask these things in the name of
Him who knew in His own body the damage of those who thought they served
You with violence and hatred, even Jesus Christ, whose death has atoned
the sin of all and whose Resurrection is our constant and only hope.
Amen.
Nos prières ce soir
sont avec la peuple de Paris, traumatiser une deuxième fois cette année
par des actes de terreur. Que la voix du Christ, le Prince de Paix, soit
entendu dans les arrondissements du capitale français dans les jours
qui suivent. #Paris
Today,
a team from LCMS Communications visited with a group of Iranian
refugees and immigrants who have found their way to Lukas Kirche in
Leipzig, Germany, a congregation of our German partner church, the SELK.
Many are presently in classes leading to Baptism with Pastors Hugo
Gevers and Markus Fischer. Others have been Christian for several years.
They shared the stories of their journey to Germany. They spoke of what
drew them to Christianity. They spoke of the kindness of
Christians who had come to their aid. They had questions for us and our
church. They were grateful for our gifts of Farsi Bibles and Catechisms
and the Bible story poster sets that were donated by CPH. Look for the
full story about how God is blessing the Lutherans in Germany as they
respond to the refugee crisis in their nation in the next LCMS Reporter
newspaper and on our Facebook page.
This coming Sunday is the Twenty fifth Sunday after
Pentecost. It is the second to last Sunday in this Church Year. It also will be
the last Sunday I will stand in the pulpit as the called and ordained pastor of
Lamb of God Lutheran in Spartanburg. Next week Kitty and I will depart
Spartanburg for Our Redeemer Lutheran in Newark, DE. So this will be a farewell
sermon. However, as our daughter and her family live here, we expect we will
visit in the future.
We will share the Lord’s Supper this Sunday and use the
first setting of the Divine Service for our liturgy (page 151). Our opening
hymn will be “At the Name of Jesus” (LSB 512). The sermon hymn will be “Built
on the Rock” (LSB 645). The closing hymn will be “Thine the Amen, Thine
the Praise” (LSB 680). Our distribution hymns will be “I Come, O Savior,
to Thy Table” (LSB 618) and “Thy Body, Given for Me, O Savior” (LSB
619). In former hymnals our two distribution hymns were actually one long hymn.
It was often used during distribution of the Lord’s Supper, but seldom (if
ever) used for an opening or closing hymn. By breaking it into two hymns, it
became available for use as something other than a distribution hymn. However,
as we will be using it during distribution, we will simply sing it as
originally designed.
The appointed Scripture lessons for the day are Daniel
12:1-3, Hebrews 10:11-25, and Mark 13:1-13. As it traditional for the three
last Sunday’s of the Church Year, the accent falls on “end times” ;things. The
sermon is titled “A Lasting Work” and the text is Mark 13:2.
Below is a video of our sermon hymn, “Built on the Rock.” Again
I’m using one of the videos posted by the Lutheran Warbler.
During our prayers we will remember the India Evangelical Lutheran Church (IELC), Good
Shepherd Lutheran, Charleston and Lamb of God.
Our adult Bible class continues with the study, Word: God
Speaks to Us. Though you may have missed the class up to this point, you
are still encouraged to attend. What you learn will be a blessing. The Bible
study hour begins at 9:00 am. Fill
free to bring children. Class is provided for them as well.
What follows is a synopsis of Sunday’s lessons, provided by
the synod, then the lessons. Following that are some important notes.
The Crucified
and Risen Body of Christ Jesus Is the True Temple of God
Despite its “wonderful stones” and “great
buildings,” the Jerusalem temple would be torn down, with not one stone
left upon another, just as this present world and its kingdoms will come to an end
(Mark 13:1–8). But that temple pointed beyond itself to Christ, to His
sacrifice upon the cross and to the resurrection of His body as the true Temple
of God. In the midst of sin and death, by the proclamation of the Gospel, He
now gathers disciples into His body, wherein “the one who endures to the end
will be saved” (Mark 13:10–13). For He is “a great priest over the house
of God,” who “will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.”
By the pure water of His Baptism, they “draw near with a true heart in full
assurance of faith,” and by His flesh and blood, they enter the Holy of
Holies (Heb. 10:17–22). Thus are His people delivered, “everyone whose name
shall be found written in the book.” For by the wisdom of His Gospel, He
turns “many to righteousness,” so that “many of those who sleep in
the dust of the earth shall awake” to everlasting life (Dan. 12:1–3).
Daniel 12:1-3
12:1“At
that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people.
And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a
nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered,
everyone whose name shall be found written in the book. 2And many of
those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life,
and some to shame and everlasting contempt. 3And those who are wise
shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to
righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.
Hebrews 10:11-25
11And
every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same
sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12But when Christ had
offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand
of God, 13waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a
footstool for his feet. 14For by a single offering he has perfected
for all time those who are being sanctified.
15And
the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying,
16“This
is the covenant that I will make with them
after
those days, declares the Lord:
I will put
my laws on their hearts,
and
write them on their minds,”
17then
he adds,
“I will
remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.”
18Where
there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.
19Therefore,
brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of
Jesus, 20by the new and living way that he opened for us through the
curtain, that is, through his flesh, 21and since we have a great
priest over the house of God, 22let us draw near with a true heart
in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil
conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23Let us hold fast
the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. 24And
let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25not
neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one
another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
Mark 13:1-13
13:1And
as he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher,
what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!” 2And Jesus said
to him, “Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one
stone upon another that will not be thrown down.”
3And
as he sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter and James and John
and Andrew asked him privately, 4“Tell us, when will these things
be, and what will be the sign when all these things are about to be
accomplished?” 5And Jesus began to say to them, “See that no one
leads you astray. 6Many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he!’ and
they will lead many astray. 7And when you hear of wars and rumors of
wars, do not be alarmed. This must take place, but the end is not yet. 8For
nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be
earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. These are but the
beginning of the birth pains.
9“But
be on your guard. For they will deliver you over to councils, and you will be beaten
in synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for my sake, to
bear witness before them. 10And the gospel must first be proclaimed
to all nations. 11And when they bring you to trial and deliver you
over, do not be anxious beforehand what you are to say, but say whatever is
given you in that hour, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit. 12And
brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and
children will rise against parents and have them put to death. 13And
you will be hated by all for my name's sake. But the one who endures to the end
will be saved.
Some Additional
Notes
There
is a congregational meeting planned for Saturday, November 21, 9:00 am with Rev. Bill Seaman, the SED’s
Area Mission and Ministry Coordinator. This is the first step in the LOG
self-examination as congregation plans for the future. The meeting will
take all day. All who care for the future of Lamb of God should make every
effort to attend.
Keep Praying for your Neighbors and Walking your Neighborhoods.
Our
vice president, Cyril Kendrick, has agreed to take over the blog. We’re
still trying to get him access. Once we do, it will be his. Please
encourage him by providing information concerning up-coming activities and
information about what your group has done.
We
need everyone involved in the coming months to insure Lamb of God
is a blessing to Spartanburg, and beyond.
Christ
for me - wonderful, sweet Gospel. From Luther's “SERMON ON THE FIRST
SUNDAY AFTER EASTER ON JOHN 20:19FF.,” Preached on April 10, 1523,
Luther's Works, 69:334
Testimony of former atheist Sarah Salviander. She is a research
scientist in astronomy and astrophysics at the University of Texas.
“I was born in the U.S., but grew
up in Canada. My parents were socialists and political activists who thought
British Columbia would be a better place for us to live, since it had the only
socialist government in North America at the time. My parents were also
atheists, though they eschewed that label in favor of “agnostic.” They were
kind, loving, and moral, but religion played no part in my life. Instead, my
childhood revolved around education, particularly science. I remember how
important it was to my parents that my brother and I did well in school.
I grew up in the 1970s and 1980s, a
time when science fiction was enjoying a renaissance, thanks largely to …
The
refugee situation and conversion of Muslims to Christianity is
garnering international attention. But there are more stories to be
told, particularly regarding what the Church's response should be.
Later this week, we will be sending a team to Berlin to visit this very
congregation mentioned by NPR to meet Rev. Gottfried Martens and some
of the recent converts. This last weekend there were three baptisms
conducted for converted Muslims and more are planned this coming Sunday.
While the NPR report implies that these conversions may simply be to
gain sanctuary in Germany, Rev. Martens has this to say:
"I talk to them personally to see whether they are really convinced
that they are Christians, whether they really know the basics of the
Christian faith," he says. "And when I see that this is not the case,
then I don't baptize them, of course."
Listen to the interview,
particularly the parts where Pastor Martens speaks, and consider what
the Church's response should be in these situations.
