Grace Evangelical-Lutheran: May 2021

Saturday, May 29, 2021

Summer Worship Service

May 30 we begin our Summer worship which will be at 9:30 a.m.

Setting I in LSB for Trinity Sunday

Monday, May 24, 2021

Genesis 11,1-9. Pentecost

Genesis 11,1-9 3221

Pentecost 043

Desiderius, Bishop of Vienna, Martyr 608/12

Desiderius, Bishop of Langres, France. Martyr 262 or 411

23. Mai 2021

1. O Lord Jesus Christ, the Almighty Son of God: we beseech You, send Your Holy Spirit into our hearts, through Your word, so that He may rule and govern us according to Your will, comfort us in every temptation and misfortune, and defend us by Your truth against every error, so that we may continue steadfast in the faith, increase in love and all good works, and firmly trusting in Your grace, which through death You have purchased for us, obtain eternal salvation. Amen. (Veit Dietrich)

2. »Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. And as people migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. And they said to one another: „Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.“ And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. Then they said: „Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.“ And Yahweh went down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man had built. And Yahweh said: „Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another’s speech.“ So Yahweh dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. Therefore its name was called Babel, because there Yahweh confused the language of all the earth. And from there Yahweh dispersed them over the face of all the earth.«

3. The Tower of Babel and the Feast of Pentecost are good book ends: at Babel humanity spoke the same language, and at Pentecost a number of Mediterranean languages are mentioned. At Babel Yahweh judges with the law, and at Pentecost Yahweh forgives with the gospel.

4. The Tower of Babel occurs not too long, several centuries, after Noah and his family leave the ark at Ararat. Peleg, the great-great-great grandson of Noah, was born shortly after the scattering at Babel; his name means divided. Peleg was born 400 years after the Flood. The people who settled in Shinar (southern Mesopotamia) wanted to consolidate their culture to the region and build a tower to make a name for themselves rather than disperse across the earth and be stewards of creation around the world. Yahweh was not pleased with this, for if they do this then what wicked things might they attempt next; before the Flood every thought of man was wicked and Yahweh did not want to see that history repeated. The people’s pride and revolt against Yahweh’s post-Flood instructions was their sin. So Yahweh confused their language and dispersed them over the earth.

5. Pentecost occurs 10 days after Jesus’ ascension. Those Jews who are dispersed throughout the vast Roman Empire have gather in Jerusalem to celebrate the festival. To these people of diverse languages, the Holy Spirit gifts the apostles the ability to preach the gospel to them. What could be a cause of division and misunderstanding is now unified and understood: they all hear about Christ crucified and resurrection. At Pentecost the Holy Spirit was poured out and the apostles prophesied (Acts 2,18). On this great and magnificent feast everyone, 3000 on that day alone, who calls upon the name of Jesus will be saved (Acts 2,21). Those nations whom Yahweh wants scattered He has drawn them together through faith in His Son Jesus Christ.

6. Which language will we speak? That of Babel, a language of fear, or that of Pentecost, a language of love? Our sinful flesh wants to speak fearfully, never fully trusting that what God wants from us will ultimately bless us so we speak from our own sinful heart, with pride, to lift ourselves up. But our Christian spirit wants to speak lovingly, trusting that what God wants from us does indeed blesses us, for we have His promise: peace I leave with you (John 14,27). In Christ we are one people; there is neither Jew or Gentile, servant or free, male or female (Galatians 3,28), for we are all redeemed by His shed blood, baptized into His family and eternally saved. This was the gospel the apostles preached on that first post-Ascension Pentecost, and it is the gospel that the Church proclaims to this very day. Amen.

7. Let us pray. O Holy Spirit, the Comforter who brings peace; draw near, and fill the hearts of Your faithful, so that the fire of Your Divine Love is ignited within us. Amen.

To God alone be the Glory

Gode ealdore sy se cyneþrymm

✠

All Scriptural quotations are translations done by The Rev. Peter A. Bauernfeind using the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, 4. Edition © 1990 by the Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart, and the Novum Testamentum Graece, Nestle-Aland 28. Revised Edition © 2012 by Deutsch Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart.

Wednesday, May 19, 2021

Luke 2,1-21 Bible Study

Luke 2,1-21

John 7,37-39. Exaudi

John 7,37-39 3121

Exaudi 042

Pereginus, Bishop of Auxerre, France. Martyr 304

16. Mai 2021

1. O Lord God, Heavenly Father, we give thanks unto You, that through Your Holy Spirit You have appointed us to bear witness of Your dear Son, our Lord Jesus Christ: We beseech You, inasmuch as the world cannot endure such testimony, and persecutes us in every way, grant us courage and comfort, so that we may not be offended because of the cross, but continue steadfastly in Your testimony, and be found always among those who know You and Your Son, until we obtain eternal salvation through Him. Amen. (Veit Dietrich)

2. »On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out: „If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said: Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.“ Now this He said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.«

3. The context for today’s sermon text is Sukkot, the Feast of Tabernacles, that falls between late September – late October. It is one of the three high holy festivals where Jews are to pilgrimage to Jerusalem for its celebration. This year the feast is from 20. – 27. September. It is a twofold festival: 1. It is a thanksgiving harvest festival, and 2. It also commemorates the Exodus where God delivered Israel and lead them to the Promised Land.

4. While Jesus was celebrating this feast in John 7, the chief priests and Pharisees sent officers to arrest Him. These officers were impressed by Jesus’ teaching and refused to arrest Him.

5. Jesus proclaimed: »If you are thirsty, then draw nigh unto Me and drink.« Jesus was not referring to the literal water and thirst, but to spiritual thirst and water that only He and His teaching can quench. Mankind certainly has a thirst for knowledge and wisdom. We try to satisfy that thirst with teachings, religions and philosophies that span numerous cultures but they never truly meet the needs of our thirsty soul. Religions and philosophies abound throughout the world that attempt to answer the age old questions every person asks at some point: who am I, how did I get here, what is the meaning of life?

6. The Christian faith answers these and many other questions. We, human beings, are created in the image and likeness of God. We are the crown jewel of all of God’s creation. We were created to be in communion with God, to be stewards of the earth and to care for one another. Jesus exemplifies this stewardship and care to us just as He intended for us to do. But we are also a fallen creation that is in rebellion against God.

7. Those who thirst for redemption and forgiveness, will find it in Jesus and only in Jesus who said: »I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me« (John 14,6). If we believe in Jesus, then living water will flow from us. Jesus’ statement is based on something the Prophet Zechariah said 5 centuries earlier: »On that day living waters shall flow out from Jerusalem« (Zechariah 14,8).

8. The Prophet Zechariah proclaims that Yahweh will be King over all the earth (14,9). At His ascension Jesus was seated at the right hand of Yahweh, and reigns as King over the world. All the nations, Jews and Gentiles, will acclaim Him as King, worship Him and be blessed with eternal life. Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to continue this work on Pentecost, and He continues it to this very day.

9. Draw near unto Jesus and drink the ever-flowing water He bestows. He has made us righteous in the waters of Holy Baptism. He is the Vine and we are the branches (John 15,5); eat and drink the righteousness He gives us in His supper. »If anyone thirsts, then let him come to Me and drink.« Amen.

10. Let us pray. O Lord Jesus Christ, who is seated on Your holy throne; draw all nations under Your reign and gather them into Your Church, so that all the world confesses that You are risen indeed. Alleluia! Amen.

To God alone be the Glory

Gode ealdore sy se cyneþrymm

✠

Exaudi Divine Service II

Exaudi

Tuesday, May 11, 2021

Ecclesiasticus 35,16. Rogate

Ecclesiasticus (Sirach) 35,16-22a 3021

Rogate 040

Job

Hermas, Romans 16,14

9. Mai 2021

1. O Lord God, Heavenly Father, who through Your Son did promise us that whatsoever we ask in His name You will give us: We beseech You, keep us in Your Word, and grant us Your Holy Spirit, so that He may govern us according to Your will; protect us from the power of the Devil, from false doctrine and worship; also defend our lives against all danger; grant us Your blessing and peace, so that we may in all things perceive Your merciful help, and both now and forever praise and glorify You as our Gracious Father. Amen. (Veit Dietrich)

2. »He will not show partiality to the poor; but He will listen to the prayer of one who is wronged. ¹⁷He will not ignore the supplication of the orphan, or the widow when she pours out her complaint. ¹⁸Do not the tears of the widow run down her cheek ¹⁹as she cries out against the one who causes them to fall? ²⁰The one whose service is pleasing to the Lord will be accepted, and his prayer will reach to the clouds. ²¹The prayer of the humble pierces the clouds, and it will not rest until it reaches its goal; it will not desist until the Most High responds ²²and does justice for the righteous, and executes judgment.«

3. Jesus comforts His apostles on the eve of His betrayal: »In Me you have peace. In the world you will have tribulation, but take heart, I have conquered the world« (John 16,33).

4. The Book of Ecclesiasticus/Sirach is a work of Jewish ethical teachings circa 200 - 175 bc that is profitable to read and contemplate upon. In its 35. chapter, Sirach tells us that God always listens to the prayer of the one wronged and to the petition of those who are downtrodden. In the 18. chapter of John, the apostles would experience tribulation and humility as they watch Jesus betrayed, falsely accused and crucified. Before this happened Jesus promised them that they have peace in Him, and then He prays for them that they remain in the faith as they endure days of extreme trial and fear.

5. In these days of social media, perhaps you’ve responded, or seen the response, to someone who posts a tragic event, saying: „My thoughts and prayers are with you.“ You likewise probably read someone else’s critique of that expression: „Well, thoughts and prayers don’t amount to much.“ The Bible and our Christian faith, however, claim that our prayers do, in fact, amount to much. Consider, for example, the plight recently in India where hundreds of thousands have tested positive for Covid. We hear that, but we are in no position to offer any tangible and meaningful assistance from half a world away; all we can do is keep them in our thoughts and prayers.

6. James tells us in his epistle: »If you are suffering, then pray. If you are sick, then pray. The prayer of a righteous person availeth much« (James 5,13-14,16). Jesus taught us to pray the Lord’s Prayer. Jesus prayed for His disciples just hours before He was arrested. Paul exhorts us to pray at all times in the Spirit, with prayer and supplication, for prayer is one piece of the armor of God (Ephesians 6,18).

7. Prayer is never ineffective because God is involved when we pray. Paul reminds us: »The Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness, for we do not know what to pray for as we ought but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. The Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God« (Romans 8,26-27). A simple prayer is effective and amounts to much because the Holy Spirit is with us to make our prayers more than just thoughts and words but action on the part of God Himself.

8. Sirach puts it more poetically: »The prayer of a humble pierces the clouds, and it will not rest until it reaches its goal. The scoffer looks at prayer and considers it ineffective and a poor response because the scoffer only views prayer one dimensionally, that is, horizontally. The Scriptures tell us that prayer is a four dimensional action that involves space and time. God hears our prayers and acts in height, width and depth; time is no barrier for Him. God acts on a global scale, mustering resources, deploying them and helping people in an instant.

9. God hears the prayers of His people, and He does justice for the righteous. God’s righteousness is grounded upon Jesus Christ. God desires all people to be saved and to arrive at the knowledge of truth in Jesus, for Christ is the one and only Mediator between God the Father and us (1. Timothy 2,4-5). Jesus gave Himself as a ransom for all (1. Timothy 2,6); He gives us His righteousness. We pass on the blessings of that righteousness to others: we keep them in our thoughts, we pray for them and we believe that the Holy Spirit will work through us and others to meet their physical and spiritual needs. Amen.

10. Let us pray. O Blessed God, who rejects not the prayers of His people; pour out upon us and our neighbors Your steadfast love, so that we rejoice in Your grace and mercy amen. Amen.

To God alone be the Glory

Gode ealdore sy se cyneþrymm

✠

Rogate Divine Service II

Rogate

Saturday, May 8, 2021

Luke 1 Bible study

Luke 1,1-25

Tuesday, May 4, 2021

John 16,5-15. Cantate

John 16,5-15 2921

Cantate 039

Athanasius, Patriarch of Alexandria, Confessor, ✠ 373

2. Mai 2021

1. O Lord God, Heavenly Father, who did through Your Son promise us Your Holy Spirit, so that He should convince the world of sin, of righteousness and of judgment: We beseech You, enlighten our hearts, so that we may confess our sins, through faith in Christ obtain everlasting righteousness and in all our trials and temptations retain this consolation, that Christ is Lord over the Devil and Death, and all things, and that He will graciously deliver us out of all our afflictions, and make us forever partakers of eternal salvation. Amen. (Veit Dietrich)

2. »When the Spirit of truth arrives, He will guide you into all the truth, for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak, and He will declare to you the things that are to be. He will glorify Me, for He will take what is Mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is Mine; therefore I said that He will take what is Mine and declare it to you.«

3. Forty-some days before His ascension, Jesus told His apostles that when He returns to heaven then the Holy Spirit will arrive. The Spirit will convict the world of sin, righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in Jesus; concerning righteousness, because Jesus went to the Father, and they will see Him no longer; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.

4. Jesus says it is a grievous act to sin against the Holy Spirit, for to sin against the Holy Spirit is to reject Jesus as Savior because the work of the Spirit is to create faith in Jesus. The Bible constantly reminds us that humans have plenty of experience in rejecting the Holy Spirit. The reason the priests and the Pharisees hand Jesus over to Pilate for execution was because they had rejected the Holy Spirit who was creating faith in the Jews that Jesus is their Messiah. To reject Jesus is to remain in your sins. The preliminary task of the Holy Spirit then is to convince people that they are sinners and need a savior.

5. The Holy spirit also convicts the world of righteousness. Men and women have an innate compunction to self righteousness. We think we can appease God without good works. The Pharisees were experts at this: they kept the Mosaic covenant and many other traditions, and in doing so they believe this merited them in good standing before God; they were righteous because they had the works to prove it. In contrast to this, the Apostle Paul told the Roman Christians: »No one is righteous, for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God« (Romans 3,23.10). The Holy Spirit teaches the world that it cannot save itself, and it doesn’t need to, because Christ has declared the world righteous; He is seated at the right hand of His Father as a testimony to the righteousness that He has secured on behalf of all people.

6. Finally, The Holy Spirit convicts the world of judgment. To those who think they have no sin, the Spirit convince them that they are a sinner. Those who think they can merit righteousness, the Spirit convinces them that they remain unrighteous. Those who think God will not judge them, the Spirit convinces them that without Christ they will be harshly judged. Jesus says that the ruler of this world, the Devil, is judged.

7. The gospel that the Holy Spirit promotes to the world is this: »All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by His blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in His Divine forbearance He had passed over former sins« (Romans 3,23-25). Sin is paid for, righteousness is given as a gift and Jesus has born our judgment. The Father has glorified Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection, and He gives to us what is His Son’s. In Christ we have life and righteousness. »We sing to the Yahweh a new song, for He has done marvelous things!« (Psalm 98,1). Amen.

8. Let us pray. O Lord Jesus Christ, the Glory of the Heavenly Father; we sing for joy and praise Your Name, so that in singing we confess that You are our eternal salvation. Amen.

To God alone be the Glory

Gode ealdore sy se cyneþrymm

✠

Ephesians 6,10 ff Bible study

Ephesians 6,10 ff

Cantate Divine Service II

Cantate

Grace Evangelical-Lutheran

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church

Saturday, May 29, 2021

Summer Worship Service

Luke 2 Bible study

Monday, May 24, 2021

Genesis 11,1-9. Pentecost

Wednesday, May 19, 2021

Luke 2,1-21 Bible Study

John 7,37-39. Exaudi

Exaudi Divine Service II

Tuesday, May 11, 2021

Ecclesiasticus 35,16. Rogate

Rogate Divine Service II

Saturday, May 8, 2021

Luke 1 Bible study

Tuesday, May 4, 2021

John 16,5-15. Cantate

Ephesians 6,10 ff Bible study

Cantate Divine Service II