Thursday, June 28, 2012

Worship for July 1, 2012


Commemoration of  of Irenaeus of Lyons, Pastor
June 28, 2012

The Lord be with you

My guess is that almost all of the churches in the LC-MS will recognize this coming Sunday as the Fifth Sunday after Pentecost. That is because, on our liturgical calendar, there are no special commemorations for July 1. However, on a few liturgical calendars used in other denominations, Catherine Winkworth is remembered on July 1. This remarkable lady has had a significant impact on our worship life, specifically in the hymns we sing. Therefore, at Lamb of God, we will remember her on Sunday. I will also put a post on this blog Sunday providing more information about her.

We will be using the service of Prayer and Preaching for our liturgy (page 260). This is a non-communion service. Our opening hymn will be “Blessed Jesus, at Your Word” (LSB 904). This hymn was originally translated from the German into English by Catherine Winkworth. Our sermon hymn will be “Baptismal Waters Cover Me” (LSB 616). This is the hymn we are learning this month. Our closing hymn will be “God Bless Our Native Land” (LSB 965). This hymn was chosen because this Sunday is the closest to Independence Day. In the Service of Prayer and Preaching we normally confess our faith using the Apostles’ Creed. However this Sunday we will use “We All Believe in One True God” (LSB 953), a hymn based on the Apostles’ Creed. Originally written in German, it was translated into English by Catherine Winkworth.

I was in a bit of a quandary in reference to the lessons for Sunday. I could have used the lessons assigned for Catherine’s day from other liturgical calendars (2 Chronicles 20:20-21; Psalm 96; Colossians 3:14-17; Matthew 13:44-52) or the ones appointed for Pentecost 5 (Lamentations 3:22-33; 2 Corinthians 8:1-9, 13-15; Mark 5:21-43; Psalm 30). After consideration, I’ve opted to go with the special lections for Catherine. That means, if you are not a member of Lamb of God and you are reading these notes, don’t expect the readings in your church to match the lessons below.

In our prayers on Sunday we will remember the Lutheran Church of Venezuela (ILV) (Iglesia Luterana de Venezuela) and their President, Rev. Luis Coronado. We will remember our missionaries, George and Shary Frahm, who serve in Cambodia. We will remember the persecuted believers in Morocco. Morocco is located on the northwest corner of Africa. At one time Christian, it was conquered by Moslems in the 7th century. Officially Jews and Christians have full civil rights in Morocco, however in recent years the Moslem government has been cracking down on Christians, arresting or expelling them from the country. This is because many Moslems have been converting to the true faith. We will also remember our sister SED congregations: St. Paul on the Shore, Hallwood, VA; Christ Community, Hamilton (Leesburg), VA; Emmanuel, Hampton, VA; Nazareth, Hopewell, VA; Holy Lamb, Myrtle Beach, SC. 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 that are pleasing in his sight to end this sinful practice.

Below is a video of the “Lutheran Warbler” singing We All Believe in One True God.”


Our adult Bible class meets at 9:00 Sunday morning. This Sunday we will in Matthew 22, walking with our Lord through Holy Week. As always, everyone is invited to come.

Preview of the Lessons

2 Chronicles 20:20-21:           After a period of bad kings ruling over Judea, Jehoshaphat became their king. Jehoshaphat was a good king who, among other things, restored the Temple and the divinely ordained worship practices. This reading is a portion of the rededication of the people to the Lord and the establishment of the worship of the Lord.

Colossians 3:14-17:   Paul writes about our Christian life to which we have been called. What does that Christian life look like and how do we sustain it? That life is a life of love, peace and gratitude. It is sustained through worship, where we receive the sacraments and the word. The word is not just the preached word, but also the written word and sung word. You can’t take the pastor with you everywhere you go, but you can take the written and sung word with you to sustain you each and every day.

Matthew 13:44-52:    Jesus tells three parables about the “kingdom of heaven.” He concludes with what might be called a wisdom saying. This points to the importance of the parables, but is not limited to the parables. We will explore, in Sunday’s sermon, how the “treasures” Jesus speaks of can be our treasures today.

Tidbits
  • Our LWML will have a meeting after the worship service on Sunday (or so I’ve heard).

Well, I pray I’ll see you Sunday.

Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert

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