An Exhortation & Blessing for Congregation Members Graduating High-School
Beloved in the Lord, in Holy Baptism, God made you each a member of the Holy Christian Church, and according to His providence, He has nourished you by His Word and Sacrament during the years of your youth. As you close one chapter of your life and beg…
Devotions for Pentecost
Yesterday the Church celebrated Pentecost, the fiftieth day after Easter Sunday when the Holy Spirit was outpoured on the disciples and many people came to faith in Christ. Posted below are the devotions for the day of Pentecost and the day after Pentecost from The Lord Will Answer, a devotional book arranged by the seasons of the Christian calendar and Luther’s Small Catechism with Explanation.
The Day of Pentecost
Third Article of the Apostles’ Creed
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
What does this mean? I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe . . . Read All
Happy Mother’s Day!
Read 1 Samuel 17:34–37
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. Psalm 23:1
Home on the Range
The lyrics to “Home on the Range” yearn for a simpler, easier life. I wonder whether King David ever felt this way about his first job as a shepherd. It was hard and even dangerous; he had to fight off bears and lions. But after forty years of leading Israel, the bears and lions may have started looking good to him! Wouldn’t a shepherd’s life have been easier?
But then, a shepherd was exactly what David still was. God had given him the job of caring for God’s people. And that is often a dirty, stinky, thankless job.
Today on Mother’s
. . . Read All
Jesus Is Still Alive
Pastor Valerius Herberger (1562–1627) served St. Mary’s parish church in Fraustadt (now Wschowa) Poland during the most difficult days of the Counter-Reformation when a royal decree ousted the congregation from its building in 1604. As a deacon and preacher in the congregation for nearly forty years, Herberger left us a remarkable example of biblical interpretation, application, and sincere devotion. His meditations on Genesis have been translated by Matthew Carver in The Great Works of God.
The following excerpt is taken from The Great Works of God, Parts Three and Four: The Mysteries of Christ in the Book of Genesis, Chapters 16–50 and is offered in celebration of Pastor Herberger’s birthday tomorrow.
Jesus Is Still Alive, and Is a Lord . . . Read All
Watchfulness
Lord Jesus, when You began Your bitter suffering for our sins amid great agony of soul, when Your soul was exceedingly sorrowful, even unto death, and drops of blood oozed from Your sacred brow, the eyes of Your disciples were heavy with sleep, so that You had to call to them: “Could you not watch with Me one hour? . . . Sleep and take your rest later on” [Matthew 26:40, 45].
Alas, the utter depravity of the human heart! Even in believers the sinful flesh is at times still very active. Certainly, You prayed and labored for us, You were in agony and kept watch for us until Your death upon the cross. Even now You who preserve Israel . . . Read All
A Devotion for Monday in Holy Week
Monday in Holy Week
Psalmody: Psalm 35:1–6, 9–10
Additional Psalm: Psalm 71, Psalm 143
Old Testament Reading: Exodus 9:1–28
Additional Reading: Lamentations 1:1–22
New Testament Reading: Hebrews 2:1–18
Prayer of the Day
Almighty God, grant that in the midst of our failures and weaknesses we may be restored through the passion and intercession of Your only-begotten Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. (L29)
Meditation
The death toll mounts, and the very ground groans in travail. The waters die, the livestock dies, the vegetation dies, soon the light will also die—what is left? The people who suffered will also die. The firstborn sons will be taken, and all that is left . . . Read All
Hosanna!
The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” John 12:12–13
Hosanna! Save us, Lord! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the King of Israel! The people stripped fronds from palm trees and threw their coats on the ground to make a royal highway for their King, who rode into the packed city on a donkey.
The air was thick with excitement and tension. This was Jesus’ grand entry. He was . . . Read All
Lent-Easter Preaching and Worship Resources
Lent is a month away. If you’re looking for a devotional resource to use individually, with your family, or with your church, check out Concordia Publishing House’s 2015 Lenten and Easter resources. Singing with the Exiles gives your church a simple, unified way to connect worship, Bible study, and personal meditation during Lent and Easter. Explore the Christological themes of Isaiah 40–55, woven beautifully into complete worship services, pastoral guides for Lenten midweek and Holy Week preaching and teaching, and daily devotions for the whole church.
With thematic inspiration drawn from Dr. R. Reed Lessing’s work for the Isaiah 40–55 volume of the Concordia Commentary series, Singing with the Exiles presents prophecies of the Messiah found in Isaiah and . . . Read All
A Devotion for the Monday after Last Sunday in the Church Year
The devotional writings of noted Swedish pastor, bishop, and author Bo Giertz offer what foreword writer John Pless calls “sturdy confessional Lutheranism with warm piety born of confidence in the Gospel.” To Live With Christ translates a collection of Giertz’s classic devotions for those who want to explore their Christian faith and to connect God’s Word in their daily lives.
The following devotion is for the Monday after Last Sunday in the Church Year (November 24).
Monday after Last Sunday before End of Time
Revelation 18:1–10
Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! Revelation 18:2
The end is near.
Revelation, with mysterious and suggestive visions, describes how order in the world falters during the final days. It looks as though . . . Read All
A Veterans’ Day Prayer
Gracious heavenly Father, you have given us life so that we would spend it in loving service to our neighbor. We thank and praise you for the men and women who have faithfully served our country in the vocation of soldier. Be and abide with them all and especially send the peace of Christ to those scarred physically and/or mentally as they sacrificed their comfort and risked their own well being to love and serve their fellow citizens. Give them all courage and strength as they live each day and protect the conscience of all who have seen battle that they may repel the accusations and assaults of the devil. Assure them always of the forgiveness of sins that is . . . Read All
A Veterans’ Day Prayer
Gracious heavenly Father, you have given us life so that we would spend it in loving service to our neighbor. We thank and praise you for the men and women who have faithfully served our country in the vocation of soldier. Be and abide with them all and especially send the peace of Christ to those scarred physically and/or mentally as they sacrificed their comfort and risked their own well being to love and serve their fellow citizens. Give them all courage and strength as they live each day and protect the conscience of all who have seen battle that they may repel the accusations and assaults of the devil. Assure them always of the forgiveness of sins that is . . . Read All
Spangenberg’s The Christian Year of Grace Now Available
A key feature of the Lutheran Reformation was the transformation of preaching and catechesis. Luther’s catechisms and his postils (collections of sermons)—rendered affordable to the layperson with the advent of printing—were standard volumes in the devotional libraries of many Christians.
Johann Spangenberg, a colleague of Martin Luther, further adapted the postil form for catechesis with The Christian Year of Grace, a question-and-answer guide through the Scripture readings for each Sunday and feast day of the church year.
The Christian Year of Grace provides a first-ever English translation of this premier Lutheran devotional book of the Reformation era. (There were more than 50 printings in German, along with editions in Latin, Czech, Dutch, and Slovak.) The Christian Year of Grace. . . Read All
Coming this November! The Christian Year of Grace
After Martin Luther’s Postils (sermons on the appointed Bible readings of the Church Year), Johann Spangenberg’s Questions and Answers was the premier Lutheran devotional book of the Reformation era. His explanations of the chief parts of Scripture, in question-and-answer format, taught and fed countless Evangelical Lutheran people of all ages and vocations for centuries. Now for the first time, this entire work has been translated by Matthew Carver in The Christian Year of Grace for modern believers to be built up in their knowledge of God, faith in Christ, and love for God and neighbor.
The following excerpt provides a preview of The Christian Year of Grace, which will be available for purchase from CPH in November.
Epistle on
. . . Read All
A Devotion to Commemorate the prophet Jonah
A Year with the Church Fathers follows the seasonal movements of the Christian Church Year in a broad, general fashion. Drawn from the themes of Scripture itself, these devotions consider the salvation plan of God fulfilled in Jesus and carried to the world through the Church. Each in-depth, thought-provoking meditation connects Scripture and the Christian life to provide encouragement in the faith.
The following excerpt commemorates the Old Testament prophet Jonah and includes Augustine’s personal reflection on his mother, Monica, who daily lived out her Christian faith.
Jonah
Psalmody: Psalm 133
Additional Psalm: Psalm 119:97–104
Old Testament Reading: Nehemiah 7:1–4; 8:1–18
Additional Reading: Ezra 1:1–10:19
New Testament Reading: 1 Timothy 5:1–16
Prayer of the Day
Lord God, heavenly Father, through . . . Read All
A Christian Prayer on a Day of National Tragedy
On this day in 2001, the devil incited fear, chaos and tragedy by prompting 19 men associated with a terrorist organization known as Al-Qaeda to undertake a plot against the citizens of the United States. In all, three planes were used as guided missil…
Herrenhuter readings for Thursday, the 7th August 2014
Yet the LORD will command his lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life. (Psa 42:8 KJV) And it came to pass in those days, … Continue reading →. . . Read All
A Devotion from Treasury of Daily Prayer
Organized around the Christian Church Year, Treasury of Daily Prayer is designed to be an all-in-one resource that cultivates an enriching devotional life for individuals,
families, and small groups. The following excerpt, for the commemoration of Ezekiel (July 21), is indicative of the way in which Treasury of Daily Prayer unites Scripture readings, prayers, psalms, hymns, and devotional readings from the church fathers to guide daily prayer and meditation on God’s Word.
Psalmody
1 Praise the Lord! Oh give thanks to the Lord, for | he is good,* for his steadfast love endures for- | ever!
2 Who can utter the mighty deeds | of the Lord,* or declare | all his praise?
3 Blessèd are they who observe | . . . Read All
Herrenhuter readings for Wednesday, the 23rd April 2014
Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. (Deu 6:5 NIV) We love because he first loved us. (1Jo 4:19 NIV). . . Read All
Academic Devotional Service
Coming up next week: Our academic partners – the Theology Faculty of the University of Pretoria – is hosting its annual Academic Devotional Service and our graduate and post-graduate students are there together with their staff. Read more about this program … Continue reading →. . . Read All
Doxology III in Pretoria
Meeting in Pretoria is fun. The weather is good, so is the accommodation at the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Tshwane and we even have access to St. Paul’s Lutheran Churches facilities in case our space is just a wee bit … Continue reading →. . . Read All
Eurasia Blog Wednesday Devotion: The Baptism of Our Lord
The Baptism of our Lord: Christ does the unexpected, causing us, and John, to ponder His works and His ways.(More)
Eurasia Blog Wednesday Devotion: Epiphany
Epiphany is the season of light. Where is the light when so much around us seems dark?(More)
Eurasia Blog Devotion Special Edition: “Hark the Glad Sound”
Wednesday is Christmas day, so the Eurasia Blog Wednesday Devotion is moved to Monday this week in order to finish the fourth week of Advent and our series on Advent hymns. This week’s hymn is “Hark the Glad Sound,” but how do you sing songs of joy and…
Eurasia Blog Wednesday Devotion: “Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus”
This week’s Wednesday Devotion focuses on the hymn, “Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus,” Lutheran Service Book (LSB) hymn 338. Today’s devotion was chosen and written by Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod Missionary Rev. Robert Flohrs, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Frankfurt, Germany.
(More)
Eurasia Blog Wednesday Devotion: “I will hide my eyes from you”
When God throws up His hands and says He’s done with you, where do you turn?(More)