Lent 3 - Oculi
Dear friends in Christ,
Thank you for your prayers last weekend. I missed being able to worship and receive the Lord's gifts together with you. I'm looking forward to seeing you in the morning! Here's what you need to prepare for tomorrow's Divine Service (don't forget, afterward is the church birthday party!).
The offerings from the birthday party tomorrow will go towards LWML Mission Grants. The rest of the month our offerings will be going to help people in and around East Palestine, OH after the train derailment there. One of the LCMS churches in Denver is sponsoring the fundraiser, and you can see more information here.
I was glad when they said to me, "Let us go to the house of the Lord" (Psalm 122:1)
Scripture Readings For the Week:
"If I cast out demons with the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you." That's what happens when God does His work among us, His Kingdom comes, just like we pray that it would. God does His work in the world and judges between good and evil, believer and unbeliever. The work of God is to come and save His people, to destroy the work of the devil, the world, and our sinful natures, anything that does not want God's name kept holy or to have His Kingdom come. He saves us by strengthening us in His Word and faith all through our lives. Let us hear God's Word and keep it, so that we receive God's blessing. Let us be imitators of God, not partaking of darkness with the sons of disobedience, but walking as children of the light, in goodness, righteousness, and truth.
Prayer of the Day:
O God, whose glory it is always to have mercy, be gracious to all who have gone astray from Your ways and bring them again with penitent hearts and steadfast faith to embrace and hold fast the unchangeable truth of Your Word; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Hymns
- 666 O Little Flock, Fear Not the Foe
- 945 Your Heart, O God, Is Grieved
- 659 Lord of Our Life
- 634 The Death of Jesus Christ, Our Lord
- 755 In The Very Midst of Life
- 750 If Thou But Trust in God to Guide Thee
- A Spotify Playlist of Our Lenten Hymns
Bach Cantata for the Week
Alles, was von Gott geboren, BWV 80a (Video | Translation)
Do ponder, child of God,
this, so great a love, which Jesus himself
consigned to you with his blood,
whereby he recruited you for victory
over Satan's army and the world and sin.
Allow neither Satan nor vice
a place within your soul!
Let not your heart,
God’s heaven upon earth,
turn into a wasteland!
Repent of your guilt painstakingly
that Christ's Spirit be tightly bound to you.
See everyone tomorrow on the Lord's Day!
In Christ,
Pastor Sherman