SHEPHERD OF THE VALLEY LUTHERAN CHURCH
READINGS, PRAYERS and DEVOTION
SVLC DEVOTION, PENTECOST SUNDAY, JUNE 5
I will pour out my spirit on all flesh and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy. With the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.
Psalm 122:1 I was glad when they said to me, Let us go to the house of the Lord!
NEWS: Today we gather again to study God’sword, confess our sins and worship our great God, on Pentecost Sunday. At 9 AM Pastor Joel leads our Bible study, continuing teaching about the miracles of Jesus and how they apply to our lives. We have our worship service at 10 and the readings for the day are as follows: Genesis 11:1-9; Acts 2:1-21 and the Holy Gospel reading, John 14:23-31 After we celebrate the Lord’s Supper and our service concludes, join us for fellowship time outside with coffee and goodies. Then, for those hungry for lunch, we’ll be meeting up at Carl’s Jr., on Douglas near River Rd., …very close to our church!
We pray all can join us for part of their Sunday but for those unable to worship in person, we stream our service live. The link is here: www.facebook.com/shepherdofthevalleyoceanside Click on that, then click on the More dropdown arrow, then click Live. If you have a moment, please “Like” us and leave a brief comment about your online worship experience. Thank you! Also serving the Lord and our congregation today are:
Pastor: Rev. Joel Luckemeyer
Technician: Bruce Woodward
Flowers: The Neemia Family
Ushers: Rick Adams and Victor Dille
Fellowship: Daria Roth\
Greeter: Kathy Andrews
Altar Care: Margaret Paton
Lector: Allen Latall
Acolyte: Josephine Neemia
Communion Assistant: Allen Latall
PRAYERS: Today we especially pray for Gunti and Barb Galleisky. Prayers are requested for the health needs for Christine. Also, a prayer from the LSB (Lutheran Service Book) for Grace to use our gifts: “Lord God Almighty, even as you bless your servants with various and unique gifts of the Holy Spirit, continue to grant us grace to use them always to Your honor and glory; through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
COLLECT OF THE DAY: O God, on this day You once taught the hearts of Your faithful people by sending them the light of Your Holy Spirit. Grant us in our day by the same Spirit to have a right understanding in all things and evermore to rejoice in His holy consolation; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
READINGS: Psalm 135:8-14; Psalm 58; Numbers 21:10-35; Luke 21:20-38
DIGGING DEEPER: Numbers 11:24-30; Psalm 25:1-15; John 7:37-39
Alleluia. Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of the faithful, and kindle in them the fire of your love. Alleluia.
“Come, Holy Ghost, Creator Blest”
“Come, Holy Ghost, Creator blest, And make our hearts Your place of rest; Come with Your grace and heav’nly aid, And fill the hearts which You have made.
“Your light to ev’ry thought impart, And shed Your love in ev’ry heart; The weakness of our mortal state With deathless might invigorate.”
In the Nicene Creed we confess that the Holy Spirit is “the Lord and giver of life.” Apart from God’s saving work, we are dead in our sins, unable to save ourselves and unable to trust in God to save us. We can do nothing to move ourselves toward faith until, in Baptism, the Spirit breathes new life into us, as God once breathed the breath of life into the still form of Adam so recently shaped from the dust of the earth. According to promise, our stony, unrepentant hearts are replaced with new hearts of faith, hearts moved by the Spirit to trust God and His Word. God said, “I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.” Only hearts newly created by the Spirit can confess faith in Jesus, as the apostle Paul explains, “No one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except in the Holy Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:3b).
Before Jesus ascended into heaven, He told His disciples to wait “for the promise of the Father” (Acts 1:4b). The promise of the Father, the Holy Spirit, was poured out on Jesus’ followers on Pentecost. It would be the Spirit’s work to turn hearts and minds to trust in the Savior. The Holy Spirit would convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. Only through the Spirit’s enlightening work can we see the truth of our sinful condition and repent of our sins. Only by the Spirit can we see our need to be clothed in Jesus’ righteousness and believe in the coming day of judgment. Jesus also said that “the Spirit of truth … will guide you into all the truth … He will glorify Me, for He will take what is Mine and declare it to you.” (John 16:13-14). The Helper came “light to ev’ry thought impart” and, in the bright light of God’s Word, we see Jesus.
The work of the Holy Spirit in our lives continues. The apostle Paul writes, “If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you” (Romans 8:11). When Jesus returns on the Last Day, our bodies will be raised in glory and clothed in immortality, our mortal flesh made alive, invigorated by the Spirit “with deathless might” to live forever in the love of our Lord and Savior.
WE PRAY: Spirit of God, guide me according to the Word and lead me to love and serve others in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Carol Geisler. It is based on the hymn “Come, Holy Ghost, Creator Blest,” which is number 498 in the Lutheran Service Book.
Reflection Questions:
1. Do you have a favorite Creed that you use in your prayers or devotions?
2. How does the Holy Spirit take what belongs to Jesus and make it known to us?
3. Why is it necessary as Judgment Day approaches to be clothed in Jesus’ righteousness?
Today’s Bible Readings: Psalms 101, 103, 108 John 15
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DEVOTION:
Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries
Luther’s Morning Prayer
In the morning, as soon as you get out of bed, you are to make the Sign of the Cross and say:
“God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit watch over me. Amen.”
Then, kneeling or standing, say the Apostles’ Creed and the Lord’s Prayer. In addition recite this prayer as well:
“I give thanks to you, my heavenly Father through Jesus Christ your dear son, that you have protected me this night from all harm and danger, and I ask you that you would also protect me today from sin and all evil, so that my life and actions may please you completely. For into your hands I commend myself: my body, my soul, and all that is mine. Let your holy angel be with me, so that the wicked foe may have no power over me. Amen.”
After singing a hymn or whatever else may serve your devotion, you can go about you day joyfully!
Luther’s Evening Prayer
In the evening, when you go to bed, you are to make the Sign of the Cross and say:
“God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit watch over me. Amen.”
Then, kneeling or standing, say the Apostles’ Creed and the Lord’s Prayer. In addition recite this prayer as well:
“I give thanks to you, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ your dear Son, that you have graciously protected me today, and I ask you to forgive me all my sins, where I have done wrong, and graciously to protect me tonight. For into your hands I commend myself: my body, my soul, and all that is mine. Let your holy angel be with me, so that the wicked foe may have no power over me. Amen.”
Now you can go to bed quickly and cheerfully.
OTHER RESOURCES:
Our church website is: https://www.svlchurch.org/
Below is our Facebook page:
www.facebook.com/shepherdofthevalleyoceanside
Here is the website for Lutheran Hour Ministries: https://www.lhm.org/
Lutheran Public Radio is listener supported and has two channels, one for sacred music and the other for talk, including news, current issues, politics and spiritual matters from a Lutheran perspective. Hosted by Pastor Todd Wilken, Issues, Etc. airs live Monday thru Friday from 1 to 3 pm Pacific, with the “Best Of” running at other hours: https://lutheranpublicradio.org/
KFUO is the listener supported radio station owned and operated by the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. Based in St. Louis, their format consists of teaching, preaching, ministry and sacred music: https://www.kfuo.org/
A very blessed Lord’s Day and Sunday to everyone! For any needs or prayer requests, please contact us.
Pastor Joel at pastor@svlchurch.org
