SHEPHERD OF THE VALLEY LUTHERAN CHURCH
DEVOTION, READINGS and PRAYERS
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2023
This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24
NEWS: Today the Men meet for their monthly Bible study/breakfast. It starts at 9 AM in our Community building And includes food, fellowship and a study of God’s word.
At 10 AM the Work Party takes place and goes until Noon. All are invited to come and pitch in as we clean, mfix up and maintain our church and property.
We return to God’s house tomorrow on the Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost. We’ll open the day with Bible study at 9 AM. We’re still in the book of Genesis but getting closer to the end as Pastor Joel leads us. In our 10 AM worship service, the title of Pastor Joel’s sermon is, “All Are Invited, Few RSVP. ”It’s based on our Gospel reading, Matthew 22:1-14 The Old Testament lesson is Isaiah 25:6-9 Our Psalmody is part of Psalm 80 The Epistle comes from Philippians 4:4-18
After we’ve celebrated the Lord’s Supper and our service is complete, we have fellowship time with coffee and goodies. Then join us as fellowship continues at the Oceanside Bakery, on Mission Ave.
Also serving our Lord and congregation tomorrow are:
Techies: Ian Andrews, Victor Dille
Reader: Margaret Paton
Acolyte: Josephine Neemia
Greeter: OPEN
Ushers: Darryl Finley, OPEN
Flowers: The Neemia family
Fellowship: Terry & Alba Reilly
PRAYERS: Today we remember the Neemia family in our prayers: Fale,, Mike, Easter, Penny, JoJo and Jerimiah.
READINGS: Ezekiel 41; Psalm 102; Hebrews 10:19-31
DEVOTION:
Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries
“Bridging the Divide”
John 19:16-18, 26, 28a, 30b – So he (Pontius Pilate) delivered Him over to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus, and He went out, bearing His own cross, to the place called The Place of a Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha. There they crucified Him, and with Him two others, one on either side, and Jesus between them. … When Jesus saw His mother and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold, your Son!” … After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, … He said, “It is finished,” and He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.
In our modern mindset, we seek to bridge the distance between us and God. We want to draw near to the Divine through our own powers, somehow closing the gap between Him and us. We search but we come up empty. It seems beyond our power to do.
Instead, God came to us, as one of us, bridging the divide we could not cross on our own. This He did in Jesus Christ who was born to live, die, and rise again, triumphant over sin, death, and the devil.
It was our sins, the Bible tells us, that permanently alienated us from our Heavenly Father. Isaiah, the prophet, writes: “but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you” (Isaiah 59:2a).
Yet, though our sins separated us from our God, when the Roman soldiers drove those nails into Jesus’ hands and feet, and when Jesus cried out from the cross “It is finished!” a new connection, an everlasting reconciliation was established between God and mankind.
Of Christ, St. Paul writes, “For He Himself is our peace, who has made us both one (Jews and Gentiles) and has broken down in His flesh the dividing wall of hostility” … so that He “might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.” … “For through Him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father” (Ephesians 2:14, 16, 18).
The truth of what Christ’s crucifixion would mean was given to the prophets by God Himself. In Hebrews, we read how “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed the heir of all things, through whom also He created the world” (Hebrews 1:1-2).
Seven centuries before Jesus was born into this world as our Savior, God the Holy Spirit moved Isaiah the prophet to write these words: “Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was pierced for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53:4-5).
Because of Jesus we are no longer strangers, alienated from God by our sins. Instead, now, by faith in Jesus we can become God’s own sons and daughters. “But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12).
WE PRAY: O Holy Spirit, open our hearts to receive the forgiveness of our sins won for us by Jesus on the cross. In His Name we pray. Amen.
From “Finished!” a sermon excerpt from Rev. Dr. Wallace Schulz, former Speaker of The Lutheran Hour
Reflection Questions:
1. What caused the gap between us and God?
2. What has God done to bridge the gap for us?
3. In your spiritual conversations with others, do you hear people trying to “find” God in their own ways? What are some of those ways?
Today’s Bible Readings: Nahum 1-3 Acts 23:1-15
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/
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 Saturday and weekend to everyone! For any needs or prayer requests, please contact us
Pastor Joel, pastor@svlcchurch.org
