SHEPHERD OF THE VALLEY LUTHERAN CHURCH
DEVOTION, READINGS and PRAYERS
WE#DNESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2023
ASH WEDNESDAY, THE BEGINNING OF LENT
Return to the Lord, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love.
NEWS: Today the Lenten season starts for Christians around the world and certainly here at Shepherd of The Valley. Please join us, if you can, at 6:30 PM. That’s when we will take time (as an extension of our study in, “Why Pray”) to pray for those in our community in and around SVLC. Our first mid-week Lenten service takes place at 7:00 PM. We will celebrate the Lord’s Supper on this Holy Day.
Starting next Wednesday we will have Potluck meals at 6:00 PM in our Community/Fellowship building. We will then proceed to our sanctuary for services at 7. Please mark your calendars!
PRAYERS: Today we pray for Berand Kirschner. We also pray for Linda Johnson who will be getting stitches out on Friday from her recent surgery. From all indications her surgery went well and she hopes to have that confirmed with her doctor when she visits with him.
COLLECT OF THEV DAY: Almighty and everlasting God, You despise nothing you have made and forgive the sins of all who are penitent. Create in us new and contrite hearts that lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness we may receive from You full pardon and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
READINGS: Joel 2:12-19; Psalm 51; 2 Corinthians 5:20-6:10; Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21
GRADUAL: O come let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the founder and perfector of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
DEVOTION:
Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries
“MAN OF SORROWS, PEOPLE OF JOY”
Out of the depths I cry to You, O LORD! O Lord, hear my voice! Let Your ears be attentive to the voice of my pleas for mercy! If You, O LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But with You there is forgiveness, that You may be feared. I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in His Word I hope; my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning. O Israel, hope in the LORD! For with the LORD there is steadfast love, and with Him is plentiful redemption. And He will redeem Israel from all his iniquities. (Psalm 130)
Waiting. Hoping. Trusting. In the darkness of our lives, what do we have to hold on to? Jesus. The Lord has not forgotten us. He saw our need and came to save us.
During these weeks of Lent, we’ll see Jesus in action—teaching, healing, comforting, saving. As Isaiah promised, Jesus bore our griefs and carried our sorrows—all the way to the cross (see Isaiah 53:4). And when He rose from the dead, He gave us life and joy forever.
May God make these weeks a time to see, as never before, how much He has loved us.
WE PRAY: Open my eyes, dear Lord, and help me to see Your heart. Amen.
Reflection Questions:
* Is waiting difficult for you?
* Why or why not?
* How do you lean on the Lord when you are suffering?
Lenten Devotions were written by Dr. Kari Vo.
Today’s Bible Readings: Exodus 36-38 Mark 4:1-20
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 your 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.”
You can now 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 Lutherans for Life: https://lutheransforlife.org/
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 Wednesday to everyone! For any needs or prayer requests, please contact us
Pastor Joel at pastor@svlchurch.org
