SHEPHERD OF THE VALLEY LUTHERAN CHURCH
READINGS, PRAYERS and DEVOTION
FRIDAY, JUNE 10
NEWS: Tomorrow the Men have their monthly Bible study/breakfast at 9 AM in our fellowship hall. All men are invited to attend and participate.
At 10 AM tomorrow we have our monthly Work Party to clean-up, fix-up and tidy-up our church and property. If you have some time, please come and pitch in for as much time as you can spend.
Also tomorrow, the Fellowship Team meets. The team does the fun stuff! It empowers things like fellowship time after church, lunch outings or potlucks after that and other fun things like Thankfeast, Easter Brunch, progressing dinners, pizza/bowling and more! Already on the team are: Gail Adams, Amanda Cerny, Allen & Debbie Kolkman, Keith Neblett, Dania Roth – but there’s room for YOU! We’d love to have YOU on the “Fun Team.”
For any other information, please refer to the Weekly Church E-News, sent out by Allen Kolkman yesterday afternoon.
PRAYERS: Today we especially pray for Charlotte Neblett. Charlotte requests prayers for health needs right now – a leg that cramps up. We remember Linda Johnson, having surgery later this month. Also, a prayer for home and family, from the LSB (Lutheran Service Book); “Visit, O Lord, the homes in which your people dwell and keep all harm and danger far from them. Grant that we may dwell together in peace under the protection of your holy angels, sharing eternally in your blessings, through Jesus Christ, our Lord.”
READINGS: Psalm 132:8-12; Psalm 38; Numbers 27:12-23; Luke 23:26-56
DEVOTION:
Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries
“God Comes with a Community”
Acts 2:29a, 36-39 – [Peter said] “Brothers, … Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the Name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to Himself.”
This devotion pairs with this weekend’s Lutheran Hour sermon, which can be found at lutheranhour.org.
Peter looked out over the crowd. Jerusalem was crowded because of the Holy Day, the Jewish Festival.
On this street corner alone, a thousand or more had gathered. But Peter didn’t just see a crowd. He saw faces, the lines of which told thousands of stories. Some, he knew. Others, he didn’t. But he wanted to. He wanted to know them all. And he wanted them to know Whom he knew.
Jesus had appeared to Peter, after He had been raised from the dead, after He had been crucified, after Peter had denied Him. Jesus wasn’t dismissive of Peter. He wasn’t going to liquidate Peter like a bad investment. He looked at Peter as though He could read every line on his face and delighted in all the stories they would tell. Jesus had told him, “When you have turned back, strengthen your brothers” (Luke 22:32b). So, when Peter addressed this crowd, the very people responsible for the death of Jesus, he wasn’t dismissive. He called them “brothers.”
For many churches, this upcoming Sunday is known as “Trinity Sunday.” The word “trinity” does not appear in the Bible. However, it’s a useful word to describe the identity and nature of God as revealed in the Bible. God is Three-in-One. God is three, personal, knowable, relating Beings who are so eternally united in nature and purpose that they are in essence One. The church devoted three centuries to working out this terminology to say what God is and isn’t. And the terms are important, because they say that God is not some thing, but someone—Someone who is not just holy, not just almighty, not just a mystery, but someone who comes with a community, with a family, for brothers and sisters.
God isn’t dismissive, like a hermit. God is a welcoming Father. Even before He created all things with His Son, by His Spirit, God was, is, and always shall be the God of inviting community. Baptized into Jesus by the Spirit, we become His sons and daughters, sisters and brothers to each other. And this is God’s desire for every person you meet. They’re not bad investments He wants to liquidate. They are persons made in His likeness, knowable and relatable, persons for whom Jesus died and rose, each called by God, each with a name, and an eternal story still being written.
WE PRAY: Dear Father, help me to more deeply know You and the people You have created through the Holy Spirit, and by Your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.
This Daily Devotion was written by Rev. Dr. Michael Zeigler, Speaker of The Lutheran Hour.
Reflection Questions:
1. Who is someone you know who’s become more fascinating the longer you’ve known them?
2. Read Acts 2:14-42 aloud. How do you express Peter’s tone of voice in this message?
3. Who is someone in your life who, like Peter and the Jews of Jerusalem, needs you to give them a fresh start in the name of Jesus?
Today’s Bible Readings: 1 Kings 3-4 Proverbs 1 John 19:1-22
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 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 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 Friday to everyone! For any needs or prayer requests, please contact us
Pastor Joel at pastor@svlchurch.org
