SHEPHERD OF THE VALLEY LUTHERAN CHURCH
DEVOTION, READINGS and PRAYERS
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 13,, 2023
This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24
NEWS: Please refer tom the Shepherd of The Valley Church newsletter that Allen Kolkman sent by email yesterday. It includes the Men’s Bible Study breakfast and Work Partymn taking place on Saturday.
PRAYERS: Today we remember Keith Neblett in our prayers. Keith requests prayers for beter health. We also pray for Margaret Patons sister Carmen who is not doing well and her caregiver husband John.
READINGS: Ezekiel 40; Psalm 101; Hebrews 10:11-18
DEVOTION:
Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries
“Help the World Rejoice”
October 13, 2023 |
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Psalm 80 – Restore us, O God of hosts; let Your face shine, that we may be saved! You brought a vine out of Egypt; You drove out the nations and planted it. You cleared the ground for it; it took deep root and filled the land. … Why then have You broken down its walls, so that all who pass along the way pluck its fruit?
This devotion pairs with this weekend’s Lutheran Hour sermon, which can be found at lhm.org.
Mother Superior is afraid of Deloris Van Cartier and for good reason. Deloris is a mess. She needs a sanctuary. Delores is a singer. Her latest audition was after-hours at a seedy joint in south Philly. She didn’t get the job. And, to make matters worse, that night, when she left, she took the wrong door and witnessed a murder. Right in front of her, the club owner shoots one of his henchmen for squealing on him to the cops. Now Deloris is a witness, on the run, and needs a sanctuary. The police hide Deloris, the loud-mouth lounge singer, in a convent, much to Mother Superior’s chagrin. Because when Deloris joins the choir, she brings the whole scummy world inside that sanctuary, into God’s vineyard, and the riff-raff are trampling down the vine, eating all the fruit, just as Mother Superior feared.
That’s the beginning of the storyline from Sister Act, the musical. The story addresses a fear of religious people everywhere. Roughly 3,000 years before Sister Act ‘s playwrights imagined the outlook of a fearfully religious nun from South Philadelphia, a Hebrew poet from southern Israel expressed the same fears in a poem known today as Psalm 80. It seems to have been written during a time when ancient Israel was divided. The leaders in the Northern Kingdom were corrupt. They had mixed with the world, and it all came crashing down on their heads. In the year 722 B.C., the Assyrians invaded, broke down their walls, trampled their sanctuary, and scattered the people. The author of Psalm 80 probably lived in the southern part of Israel when it happened. He hears about it and vocalizes his prayer to God in a poem. The poet compares God’s people to a vine, and their land is like a vineyard. And like Mother Superior, he does not understand why God would let the world invade His vineyard.
When Jesus said, “I am the true Vine and you are the branches” (John 15:5a), He probably had Psalm 80 in mind. Recognizing Jesus as the Vine lets us see the relationship between the world’s mess and God’s sanctuary in a new light. Because Jesus embraced the riff-raff, you and me included. He let Himself be trampled, cut down, crucified. And with God’s power and compassion, He rose from the dead. He broke down the wall. He welcomes us in, so that we can welcome others—loud mouths, low-lifes, everyone.
When Deloris Van Cartier led the choir in the convent, she taught them how to sing. And in the light of Jesus, maybe we can hear her words as prophetic. She tells her sisters, and us, “When you’ve got a song worth hearin’ there’s one thing to do. Just keep your fear from interferin’ and let that sucker burst through. Raise your voice! Blast it! Blare it! Stand up and share it! Help the world rejoice!”
WE PRAY: Dear Father, keep our fears from interfering, so that we can help the world rejoice in Jesus. Amen.
This Daily Devotion was written by Rev. Dr. Michael Zeigler, Speaker of The Lutheran Hour.
Reflection Questions:
1. Read Psalm 80 aloud, recalling the horrific historic circumstances (see 2 Kings 17). Why does the Psalmist have good reason to fear the world (see Psalm 80:13, 16)?
2. Why might Christians think that they have good reasons to fear the world?
3. Read John 15-16. Which of Jesus’ words most clearly speak to your fears? |
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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 hour s: 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 Friday to everyone! For any needs or prayer requests, please contact us
Pastor Joel, pastor@svlcchurch.org