SHEPHERD OF THE VALLEY LUTHERAN CHURCH
READINGS, PRAYERS and DEVOTION
SUNDAY, MAY 22, THE SIXTH SUNDAY OF EASTER
Psalm 122:1 I was glad when they said to me, Let us go to the house of the Lord!
NEWS: This morning we return to God’s house for Bible study and worship. At 9 AM, Pastor Joel continues leading us on the miracles of Jesus and how they apply to our lives. In our 10 AM service the title of Pastor Joel’s sermon is, “A Glimpse of Home.” It’s based on our second reading of the day, Revelation 21:9-14, 21-27 Our other readings are Acts 16:9-15 and the Gospel reading, John 5:1-9 After the Lord’s supper and the completion of our worship, please plan to stay with us. We have fellowship time with coffee and goodies. Then, we have our twice-yearly CONGREGATIONAL MEETING. We pray you can attend as we go about our Father’s business and that of our congregation. We will be electing new Board members for two-year terms. Those being voted on are:
Care and Worship: Allen Latall; Growth and Outreach: Rick Adams; Education: Kay Bernie; Stewardship: Ian Andrews; Property: Bruce Woodward. We have one position of which there is no candidate yet and that is for Hospitality/Fellowship. If you can help or would like to fill that, please contact Bruce Woodward.
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:
Fellowship: Terry & Alba Reilly
Flowers: The Neemia family
Techies: Chris Roth, open
Reader: K Berni
Acolyte: Open
Greeter: Open
Ushers: Victor Dille, Keith Neblett
Please let us know asap if you cannot serve as scheduled or to volunteer for one of the openings. Thanks!
PRAYERS: Today we especially pray for Amy Terrill.
COLLECT OF THE DAY: Oh God, the giver of all that is good, by your holy inspiration grant that we may think these things that are right and by your merciful guiding accomplish them; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
READINGS: Psalm 135:13-21; Psalm 60; Numbers 3:1-16, 39-48; Luke 14:25-15:10
DIGGING DEEPER: Acts 17:16-31; Psalm 66:8-20; 1 Peter 3:13-22; John 14:15-21
Alleluia. We know that Christ being raised from the dead will never die again: death no longer has dominion over him. Alleluia. In the world you will have tribulation, but ake heart: I have overcome the world. Alleluia.
DEVOTION:
Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries
“He is Arisen! Glorious Word”
“He is arisen! Glorious Word! Now reconciled is God, my Lord; The gates of heav’n are open. My Jesus did triumphant die, And Satan’s arrows broken lie, Destroyed hell’s fiercest weapon. O hear what cheer! Christ victorious, Rising glorious, life is giving. He was dead but now is living!”
We know the pain and frustration when divisions arise between friends or within families. Relationships may remain broken unless the parties in disagreement can be reconciled—brought together again. Our sinful ability to shatter relationships stretches back to Eden. The members of the first family, Adam and Eve, rebelled against their Creator and disobeyed His Word as they ate the fruit forbidden to them. They were driven from paradise, carrying the burden of broken relationships with one another, with creation, and with God.
It is a burden of guilt and shame that we carry too, the terrible ability to harm relationships. Through our sin we have brought on ourselves the eternally deadly burden of a broken relationship with God. There is nothing we can do to reconcile ourselves to God. In our fallen sinfulness, we would not even want to do so: “The mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s Law; indeed, it cannot” (Romans 8:7). It was God alone who acted in grace to reconcile us to Himself.
God sent His Son into the world to be our Savior. Jesus took our sinful brokenness, our inclination to destroy relationships, and our every sin onto Himself and carried that shameful burden of guilt in His own body on the cross. There, our Savior “did triumphant die.” We may think of death as defeat, but not this time. By His sacrifice, Jesus “destroyed hell’s fiercest weapon,” death itself. “Satan’s arrows,” those temptations and schemes used from Eden onward, fell broken at the foot of the cross. Jesus suffered the penalty of death that should have been ours; death has lost it power over us. Our sins have been washed away in Jesus’ blood.
At the cross, our broken relationship with God was fully healed. In Jesus “all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of His cross” (Colossians 1:19b-20). Our hymn proclaims, “Now reconciled is God, my Lord; the gates of heav’n are open.” Through Jesus’ death and resurrection, God has brought us back to Himself. In Christ, we are free to forgive others as we have been forgiven and to seek within our daily relationships the reconciliation we know in Christ. We are also called to share the Good News of salvation with others, so that by faith in Jesus they too will know the reconciliation of God. “O hear what cheer! Christ … was dead but now is living!”
WE PRAY: Lord God, lead me to forgive others and to seek reconciliation with them in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Carol Geisler. It is based on the hymn “He is Arisen! Glorious Word,” which is number 488 in the Lutheran Service Book.
Reflection Questions:
1. Maintaining good connections with people can be difficult. What do you do to keep your relationships healthy and growing?
2. How has God reconciled the world to Himself through the blood of Jesus?
3. What are some things we can do to move our thinking from a fleshly mindset to a more godly frame of mind?
Today’s Bible Readings: Psalms 7-8 John 7:28-53
To Download Devotion MP3 to your computer, right click here and select “Save Link As” or “Save Target As” or “Download Linked File As”
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:
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.
