Thursday after Trinity Sunday (aka Pentecost 1)
June 7, 2012
The Lord be with you
This coming Sunday is recognized at Lamb of God as the
Second Sunday after Pentecost. (The First Sunday after Pentecost was Festival of
the Holy Trinity.) Some LCMS congregations will use the name “The First Sunday
after Trinity.” I plan to put a post on the blog, probably tomorrow, explaining
the difference. Therefore, I’m not
including general information about the origin and emphasis of the
Pentecost/Trinity season here.
Following our regular rotation of services, we will
celebrate the Lord’s Supper Sunday. For our liturgy we will use the third
setting of the Divine Service, which begins on page 184 of the Lutheran Service Book. The appointed
lessons are: Genesis 3:8-15; 2 Corinthians 4:13-5:1; Mark 3:20-35. The text for
the sermon will be 2 Corinthians 4:16. The sermon will be titled “Hang in
There!” Our opening hymn will be “Christ, the Lord of Hosts, Unshaken” (LSB 521). This is a new hymn for us and
we will be singing it over then next four weeks as we learn it. The sermon hymn
will be “Lord Keep Us Steadfast in Your Word” (LSB 655). The closing hymn will be “Abide, O Dearest Jesus” (LSB 919). Our distribution hymns will be
“Thine the Amen, Thine the Praise” (LSB
680), “O Jesus, Blessed Lord, to Thee” (LSB
632), and “There Is a Balm in Gilead” (LSB 749).
In our prayers we will remember the Lutheran Church of
Guatemala (ILG) (Iglesia Luterana en Guatemala)
and their President, Rev. Ignacio Juan Chan cux. We will remember our
missionary, Megan Birney. Megan serves in Hong Kong. She
desires that we pray that the Lord would pave the way and open hearts to the
ministries of LCMS World Mission, Church of All Nations, and The Lutheran
Church—Hong Kong Synod; that the Lord would grant her discernment and wisdom as
she serves in this leadership role; that God will continue to bless the
ministry in Hong Kong and that nothing would hinder the work of the Holy
Spirit. We will remember the persecuted believers in Maldives.
The Maldives is
an island nation in the Indian Ocean about 250 miles
south-west of India.
Islam is the official religion of the Maldives
and open practice of any other religion is forbidden by law. The Maldives
are among the countries with the least tolerance towards Christians. We will
also remember our sister SED congregations: Our Savior’s Way, Ashburn, VA; Holy
Cross, Ashland, VA; Holy Trinity, Bristol, VA; Good Shepherd, Callao, VA; Good
Shepherd, Greenville, SC. Naturally, we will continue to remember those who
have been misled by our cultures acceptance of abortion and sexual immorality,
asking God’s grace for their lives that they may be healed and restored by the
Holy Spirit. We will also continue to remember those trapped in the modern
practice of slavery and ask God to bless all efforts to end this sinful
practice that are pleasing in his eyes.
Below is a video of someone singing “Lord Keep Us Steadfast
in Your Word,” our sermon hymn. He is singing a little slower than I think
Karen will play the hymn, and a few of the words are different from the Lutheran Service Book, but it is “nice.”
Our adult Bible class
meets at 9:00 Sunday morning. This Sunday
we will continue in Matthew 21. As always, everyone is invited to come.
Preview of the
Lessons
Genesis 3:8-15: This is the story of what happened in
the Garden of Eden after Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit. When God comes
to visit, Adam and Eve hid. When God finds them, they are full of excuses. Then
God announces, first the consequences of their sins and then the promise of the
Messiah. One of the interesting things in the story is that Adam and Eve are
unrepentant. God comes for his visit and they hide. That is not the act of a
repentant person. God confronts them and they make excuses. That is not the act
of a repentant person. So when do they repent? They repent only after they are
given hope. That is to say, the Law crushed them and left them no hope.
However, when the hope of the Gospel is presented, when they are given
something positive to grab onto, they can acknowledge their sin, receive
forgiveness, and believe in the promise. The Law never saves. Only the Gospel
saves. The Law shows us as sinners, falling short of God’s standard. The Gospel
brings grace and salvation.
2 Corinthians
4:13-5:1: Paul unpacks more
the hope of the Gospel and the difference it makes both now and for all
eternity. In other words, he is giving us a commentary that applies directly to
the hope Adam and Eve found in Genesis 3:15.
Mark 3:20-35:
You might give this lesson the title, “How people misunderstood Jesus.” Jesus’
family thought he was crazy. Some of the Scribes and Pharisees thought Jesus
was demon possessed. People might be confused by the “blasphemy of the Holy
Spirit,” which is described by our Lord as being unforgivable. However the text
explains what is meant: for they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.” This
is nothing less than the work of God in Christ Jesus the work of the devil. To
put this another way, it is rejecting what God is doing in Christ “for us men
and for our salvation.” Therefore the “unforgivable sin” is rejecting the
Spirit’s effort to bring us to faith in Jesus, that is, going to your grave
without faith in Jesus. In order to be part of the family of God, one must be a
follower of Jesus.
Tidbits
- Our Church Council will meet Sunday after the worship service.
Well, I pray I’ll see you Sunday.
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert
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