The Story Behind the Prayers
In late May 2017, I was asked if I would consider delivering a weekly prayer to our fellowship called the “Prayer of Confession and Forgiveness in Christ.” I agreed, and to date (June 2023), these two hundred and three (203) corporate prayers of 111,431 words and 319 pages, have been offered.
Presenting this document now, does not mean there will not be future prayers of this sort, it simply means that there were plenty-enough to put into one document.
These prayers are designed to represent the “voice” of our fellowship in communion with God. This means, they are a type of “corporate” voice which represents us as both individuals and as a fellowship of believers in unity. They are intended to reflect our admiration of, and our covenant with, Almighty God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
This approach endeavors to reflect, 1) our worship through unity of praise, 2) acknowledgment of our sin and God’s mercy to us in Christ, 3) our gratefulness to God for all he has done and will yet do, and 4) our sincere desires and requests of him as our God and Father, for we belong to him; we are His and He is ours.
It is the hope of the elders, that these prayers will serve, to illuminate the heart of the message, given by God to the Pastor that week. We deeply desire, that God be glorified in our worship. Which is never just one thing, but always at least three: Prayer, Praise and Proclamation. These elements are to exhibit harmony and continuity, one lifting the other. It is to be a tapestry, weaved together, for the display of the images and truths, which God seamlessly knits together.
It has certainly been my honor and pleasure to write and present these prayers; desiring that God would indeed knit them together in our worship. And, I have seen the evidence every week that he has. For although there is no human collaboration, the Holy Spirit coordinates these prayers, with the pastor’s dialog and the music selections.
God always brings it all together. It is, as though he sat down with us at table and explained how to gracefully connect these elements. In fact, I do not doubt, that it is him who arranges and coordinates all aspects of our worship. He is present in the prayers, the music and the message of our worship.
Because God, uses our awkwardly spoken words and insufficient attempts to reveal his truth to the world, I have prayed that he would, sort-it-all-out, for his glory. So, I am thankful that these prayers have connected with many hearts and minds, and that they have served with of the other elements of worship.
Regarding Prayer Design
While many Christians today are of the opinion that all prayers should be done in an impromptu or extemporal fashion, I was compelled by an older tradition to carefully design these prayers over time to capture scriptural themes. It occurred to me that these prayers must include some poetic cadence which might serve to illuminate important biblical notions and edification. And if God so designed, they may perhaps, help us to better perceive the things of God amid our worship.
Writing them over an average of four to five hours each, not including related study, has certainly affected me personally. It has served to enlightened the passages under examination and to connect them with the whole of scripture. God is One, and his Word is One with him. So, worship elements being in harmony does not surprise me. What would surprise me would be if they were not.
As to structure, the first 17 prayers were written prior to my decision to use a specific outline called A.C.T.S, although the same elements are present within them. I learned this pattern from the late, R.C. Sproul. He has been a mentor of mine since I became a Christian, and I have even chatted with him, on at least one occasion. I also appreciated the fact, that the acronym spells out the first word of the book which chronicles the beginning of the church, “The Acts of the Apostles.” The acronym A.C.T.S. stands for “Adoration—Confession—Thanksgiving and Supplication.”
While only I, have required myself, to follow this pattern, it is not a necessary structure. However, prayer should always have a to be followed. We are a people created by God, in his image, so that our pleasure might rest in him. God has weaved us together with him and we are in the custody his Spirit. God is who God is.
Therefore, we must address him in a fitting manner. He is alone, holy. He is alone almighty. He is Father, Savior, and Redeemer. We can address him with intimacy but also with loving caution. We are cautious, to not let our familiarity cause us to forget, who it is we are addressing. Yet, we are to be lovingly familiar with God. After all, he has personally made us his children,
chose us in Christ before he made the foundations of the earth, and he loves us beyond our understanding.
Nevertheless, God is always God. We may sin against him intentionally or unintentionally, and so, we need, and really must, desire, his forgiveness. He gives everything for life and joy. If he is our joy, we are right to always thank him. He tells us to ask him for our needs and wants, and he tells us, ‘If we do not have, it’s because we do not ask.’
If we believe he can do what we ask, as we desire his will for us above our own, then we can ask nothing too great. If our prayers are meant to test God, then we have not understood a thing about him; which would make us a sorrowful lot. But if we mean to honor and glorify him in the midst of our appeals, then our joy and treasure will always be fulfilled in him.
Prayer in General
Finally, prayer in general is an act of worship, meant to glorify God and bring before him our adoration of him, and esteem and joy in him. It is a Scriptural weave, a tapestry of beautiful and frightening truth from God. By our confession of belief and of our repugnance for sin, we acknowledge our thankfulness for what he has done and what he shall yet do. He hears our requests and desire as a father would his little ones. He knows what we can or cannot carry. So, the heaviness of the world is on his shoulders; he’ll work everything out for our good.
So, prayer is both a moment of focused communion—and a flow through time in intimate awareness, that all good things come from the hand of God.
We see various forms of prayer is Scripture and many books have been written about prayer; some are good and others, not-so-much. So, as mentioned, the Bible does not prescribe one specific approach to prayer. Even the “Lord’s prayer,” though it outlines very important elements, is not a pattern that we are commanded to use. But it is certainly a beautiful pattern we should include into our prayers.
In Matt. 6:5-15 Jesus says “Pray like this,” and he then presents an approach to God which is sincere and honoring. So, we try to capture such elements in our prayers, both private and public. He also says there is a way of praying that we should not follow. We should not pray as the hypocrites do, so as to be seen praying by others. This implies a display of false piety for self-aggrandizement. Rather, there is a better way to pray that is God honoring and this is done in private.
Now, Jesus was not saying that there should be no corporate prayers. We see many examples in Scripture of prayers being given in public, before, and for the people of God. Corporate prayers are of the sort of prayers which each believer can understand and resonate with. In every heart and mind, the words of corporate prayer are those we would speak in private prayer; at least, this is their intent.
The A.C.T.S outline is an effort recognize some very important elements of prayer in order to help us focus some simple, yet profound questions and answers. Such as, who God is—who and what we are—to whom and for what are we thankful—and what are the desires of our hearts, which only he can fulfil?
Confession
I confess the likelihood that these prayers have blessed me more than their intended blessing to others. For in writing them, God has come into view more clearly and has weaved his design before me more plainly. It seems that the distance between us, is somehow lessened. Yet, may God bless the reader, more that the writer.
It was inevitable that such a project would include many repeated and resurfacing themes, as well as common biblical language throughout. This, I believe, imitates how Scripture repeats themes and serves to connect us with God’s revelation of Himself, from beginning to end.
My prayer is, that they might flow in a complimentary fashion, within the weave and tapestry of God’s word to us. Plus, that they reiterate an orthodox theology and doctrine which God has given us to enjoy and depend upon, so we may better enjoy Him and depend upon Him. This too I pray, that what is written here echoes with the passions of the Reformers prayers and confessions.
I have sought to maintain appropriate Trinitarian distinctions and roles. Any unclear mixing of these precepts, is unintended. I have strived to avoid any unclear connections between themes or circumstances, yet always show the harmony we find Scripture. (Any spelling, word usage, punctuations, “editing artifacts” or other oddities are solely my errors and oversites.)
Michael O. Mulconery, Elder
Sovereign Grace Fellowship, Nampa, Idaho
Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness. Colossians 2:7
In late May 2017, I was asked if I would consider delivering a weekly prayer to our fellowship called the “Prayer of Confession and Forgiveness in Christ.” I agreed, and to date (June 2023), these two hundred and three (203) corporate prayers of 111,431 words and 319 pages, have been offered.
Presenting this document now, does not mean there will not be future prayers of this sort, it simply means that there were plenty-enough to put into one document.
These prayers are designed to represent the “voice” of our fellowship in communion with God. This means, they are a type of “corporate” voice which represents us as both individuals and as a fellowship of believers in unity. They are intended to reflect our admiration of, and our covenant with, Almighty God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
This approach endeavors to reflect, 1) our worship through unity of praise, 2) acknowledgment of our sin and God’s mercy to us in Christ, 3) our gratefulness to God for all he has done and will yet do, and 4) our sincere desires and requests of him as our God and Father, for we belong to him; we are His and He is ours.
It is the hope of the elders, that these prayers will serve, to illuminate the heart of the message, given by God to the Pastor that week. We deeply desire, that God be glorified in our worship. Which is never just one thing, but always at least three: Prayer, Praise and Proclamation. These elements are to exhibit harmony and continuity, one lifting the other. It is to be a tapestry, weaved together, for the display of the images and truths, which God seamlessly knits together.
It has certainly been my honor and pleasure to write and present these prayers; desiring that God would indeed knit them together in our worship. And, I have seen the evidence every week that he has. For although there is no human collaboration, the Holy Spirit coordinates these prayers, with the pastor’s dialog and the music selections.
God always brings it all together. It is, as though he sat down with us at table and explained how to gracefully connect these elements. In fact, I do not doubt, that it is him who arranges and coordinates all aspects of our worship. He is present in the prayers, the music and the message of our worship.
Because God, uses our awkwardly spoken words and insufficient attempts to reveal his truth to the world, I have prayed that he would, sort-it-all-out, for his glory. So, I am thankful that these prayers have connected with many hearts and minds, and that they have served with of the other elements of worship.
Regarding Prayer Design
While many Christians today are of the opinion that all prayers should be done in an impromptu or extemporal fashion, I was compelled by an older tradition to carefully design these prayers over time to capture scriptural themes. It occurred to me that these prayers must include some poetic cadence which might serve to illuminate important biblical notions and edification. And if God so designed, they may perhaps, help us to better perceive the things of God amid our worship.
Writing them over an average of four to five hours each, not including related study, has certainly affected me personally. It has served to enlightened the passages under examination and to connect them with the whole of scripture. God is One, and his Word is One with him. So, worship elements being in harmony does not surprise me. What would surprise me would be if they were not.
As to structure, the first 17 prayers were written prior to my decision to use a specific outline called A.C.T.S, although the same elements are present within them. I learned this pattern from the late, R.C. Sproul. He has been a mentor of mine since I became a Christian, and I have even chatted with him, on at least one occasion. I also appreciated the fact, that the acronym spells out the first word of the book which chronicles the beginning of the church, “The Acts of the Apostles.” The acronym A.C.T.S. stands for “Adoration—Confession—Thanksgiving and Supplication.”
While only I, have required myself, to follow this pattern, it is not a necessary structure. However, prayer should always have a to be followed. We are a people created by God, in his image, so that our pleasure might rest in him. God has weaved us together with him and we are in the custody his Spirit. God is who God is.
Therefore, we must address him in a fitting manner. He is alone, holy. He is alone almighty. He is Father, Savior, and Redeemer. We can address him with intimacy but also with loving caution. We are cautious, to not let our familiarity cause us to forget, who it is we are addressing. Yet, we are to be lovingly familiar with God. After all, he has personally made us his children,
chose us in Christ before he made the foundations of the earth, and he loves us beyond our understanding.
Nevertheless, God is always God. We may sin against him intentionally or unintentionally, and so, we need, and really must, desire, his forgiveness. He gives everything for life and joy. If he is our joy, we are right to always thank him. He tells us to ask him for our needs and wants, and he tells us, ‘If we do not have, it’s because we do not ask.’
If we believe he can do what we ask, as we desire his will for us above our own, then we can ask nothing too great. If our prayers are meant to test God, then we have not understood a thing about him; which would make us a sorrowful lot. But if we mean to honor and glorify him in the midst of our appeals, then our joy and treasure will always be fulfilled in him.
Prayer in General
Finally, prayer in general is an act of worship, meant to glorify God and bring before him our adoration of him, and esteem and joy in him. It is a Scriptural weave, a tapestry of beautiful and frightening truth from God. By our confession of belief and of our repugnance for sin, we acknowledge our thankfulness for what he has done and what he shall yet do. He hears our requests and desire as a father would his little ones. He knows what we can or cannot carry. So, the heaviness of the world is on his shoulders; he’ll work everything out for our good.
So, prayer is both a moment of focused communion—and a flow through time in intimate awareness, that all good things come from the hand of God.
We see various forms of prayer is Scripture and many books have been written about prayer; some are good and others, not-so-much. So, as mentioned, the Bible does not prescribe one specific approach to prayer. Even the “Lord’s prayer,” though it outlines very important elements, is not a pattern that we are commanded to use. But it is certainly a beautiful pattern we should include into our prayers.
In Matt. 6:5-15 Jesus says “Pray like this,” and he then presents an approach to God which is sincere and honoring. So, we try to capture such elements in our prayers, both private and public. He also says there is a way of praying that we should not follow. We should not pray as the hypocrites do, so as to be seen praying by others. This implies a display of false piety for self-aggrandizement. Rather, there is a better way to pray that is God honoring and this is done in private.
Now, Jesus was not saying that there should be no corporate prayers. We see many examples in Scripture of prayers being given in public, before, and for the people of God. Corporate prayers are of the sort of prayers which each believer can understand and resonate with. In every heart and mind, the words of corporate prayer are those we would speak in private prayer; at least, this is their intent.
The A.C.T.S outline is an effort recognize some very important elements of prayer in order to help us focus some simple, yet profound questions and answers. Such as, who God is—who and what we are—to whom and for what are we thankful—and what are the desires of our hearts, which only he can fulfil?
Confession
I confess the likelihood that these prayers have blessed me more than their intended blessing to others. For in writing them, God has come into view more clearly and has weaved his design before me more plainly. It seems that the distance between us, is somehow lessened. Yet, may God bless the reader, more that the writer.
It was inevitable that such a project would include many repeated and resurfacing themes, as well as common biblical language throughout. This, I believe, imitates how Scripture repeats themes and serves to connect us with God’s revelation of Himself, from beginning to end.
My prayer is, that they might flow in a complimentary fashion, within the weave and tapestry of God’s word to us. Plus, that they reiterate an orthodox theology and doctrine which God has given us to enjoy and depend upon, so we may better enjoy Him and depend upon Him. This too I pray, that what is written here echoes with the passions of the Reformers prayers and confessions.
I have sought to maintain appropriate Trinitarian distinctions and roles. Any unclear mixing of these precepts, is unintended. I have strived to avoid any unclear connections between themes or circumstances, yet always show the harmony we find Scripture. (Any spelling, word usage, punctuations, “editing artifacts” or other oddities are solely my errors and oversites.)
Michael O. Mulconery, Elder
Sovereign Grace Fellowship, Nampa, Idaho
Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness. Colossians 2:7
Prayers 2021
01/10/2021 #125—Sermon Passage, John 14:15-26
Adoration: Mighty God, our creator and sustainer; the hearts you have renewed, gifted with faith, and sanctified in Christ, are yours evermore.
We will not let them be troubled; we will not turn away and we will not look for another. For the belief you have caused in us, finds all that is fashioned by it.
In depth of praise of immutable love, we bow in adoration and awe. Though heaven and the world with all its desires shall pass away, the truth living in us will forever be. It shall stand evermore, as you have determined.
Our Lord prepares a home for our bodies and our souls; and shall return to gather us there. We desire the journey's end for we know where we are going. In your home O’God, we are home. There we shall flourish for there you are, our assurance and joy complete.
For you O’Lord are the Way, the Truth and the Life. Through you alone the Father of lights shines upon us; and to the core encircles us in truth, beauty and goodness… we are yours and you are ours. In you O’Lord we have seen the Father and know him.
His holy decrees are proven in you. With all authority he does what he wills even as our pleas desire it. You O’Lord give us all that we need and have shown us the Father.
We see now more clearly how you glorify him and he you; and the Holy Spirit our helper glorifying both.
Beyond our grasp he indwells us, yet we hold it as precious and true. The world neither sees or knows the Spirit of Truth and cannot receive him; for he is not theirs.
Confession: O’Lord, we confess that we long to make your every command our offering of love; to love you as we should for you are worthy. Yet we are weak and easily distracted.
So, we confess in sorrow that we have not fully kept your gracious rule in either proof of love or fear of wrath.
We confess our sins against you and against others, even those you love. And still, you have not left us as orphans but like travelers in the night, have brought us in to lodge with you.
Though we stumble and fall, you have asked the Father and he has granted us the Spirit of life, in whom we know repentance, for he reminds us daily and in same accord, forgiveness, kindness and restoration.
Thanksgiving: May our gratitude be forever a blessing to you; our thanks, a garland for your head. May our appreciation be proven by our actions and our desire to follow you at every turn and in every moment.
For we are not a people who have to wonder what love is or who we should thank. We know whom it is that we serve. It is not man, nor the stars nor an unknown God; but the one true, living—holy God. Because He lives, we also shall live.
Supplication: So, now we ask all things in Christ in whom we dwell. The Father’s will is not secret but is in everything the Son has provided.
Help us in our feeble attempts Lord, to keep the words of the Father. May the Spirit teach us all things and remind us of all that you have said.
We ask this by our assurance in Christ, amen. †
01/17/2021 #126—Sermon Passage, Acts 28: 17-31
Adoration: Most holy God, our shield and strength, High Priest, True Vine and Eternal Spirit: You have kindled a fire and welcomed us in—out of the cold-dark-rains. What misfortunes will accost us now, that cannot be shaken-off?
You O’God, have honored us exceedingly. Your love has opened the hearts of our souls and the intellect of our minds. Our eyes see now what was hidden and your words ring steadily in our thoughts.
What was once just noise to dispassionate ears and nonsense to dormant souls, is now a beautiful melody of flawless reasoning. We have heard your voice and have seen your countenance. We know now who you are.
While we are not privy to your secret designs, we do not need holy insight but holy faith. So, where you lead, we will follow…
For you O’ mighty God, are great and holy—true and righteous. You create and destroy both the seen and unseen. Nothing exists or has power over the world which you have not sustained. Whether to function in providence with obvious accord—or by riddle and curious interlude—evade our grasp, you and you alone know.
Even though sifted by unjust arbiters, accused of crimes against their ignorance; and delivered as prisoners to the floor, there in that place, we shall expound and testify to the truth.
And in so doing, convince some and condemn others. It is good that some hear to their repentance and others to their ruin. For they are dull with hate and refuse to believe. They hear only the crassness of their own laughter and see only the lusts of their own hearts. The salvation of God will not be theirs.
Confession: In our sorrow we confess to you our sins and trespasses. We know we have covered them up and bargained with you as though we had the power to appease your wrath.
You know our sins better than we can imagine. Yet may they always become clear to us in process from mind to heart to deed. For we are yet prone to pursue both comfort or safety at the expense of others.
We are distracted by transitory things rather than attentive to the eternal vision. You open our eyes and ears and we are healed. You take away our sins at repentance and our ongoing transgressions of life.
Thanksgiving: We thank you O’God. Your love redeems us moment by moment and forever. Though the world is in all ways fallen, we will take courage in the center of discord and tyranny.
You cause our minds to perceive the realities before us and though our hearts melt, you restore us. Our gratefulness as one portion of love shall be with us and to your glory always.
Supplication: So, we ask you Lord: Help us always to hear and understand correctly what you say—and to do as you direct. Help us to see and perceive your way at every turn as our own. With fully formed hearts and sharpened minds, remove the dullness we often suffer.
Give us assurance of our salvation daily, that we may proclaim without hinderance your kingdom and teach the truth of Jesus Christ with boldness.
These things we pray and desire in earnest, amen. †
01/24/2021 #127—Passage, Luke 18:15-17 “Sanctity of Life”
Adoration: Father God, your name is sacred. Your Kingdom was—is—and shall forever be. You do all that you decree. Your every desire is perfectly good and discerning. You permit what you hate, yet will vanquish both the heavens and the earth at final verdict.
In love, you crafted man from the dust of the ground. In the forming dust you placed a soul—and inward there—your very likeness. An image of inconceivable wealth, beauty, and splendor. Though once fit and true vessels, we sought out weak and inadequate visions; yet, you did not abandon the ewers.
You gave to us a portion, to have a knowledge of purpose and of your magnificence. Whether to reflect you in glory of praise or to create mocking tributes to ourselves, we have the visage of your gift, which cannot be denied.
When we fall, does not the ground open its mouth to receive the body you have formed? You have even given our blood a voice that cries out from the there. And when we kill do you not ask, “What have you done? Where is your brother? Where are the little ones?” Why have you risen against innocence —against me?
Do not you know that life is more than food and the body more than clothing. Against God and his image are the mortal sins of man; he worships the false god, fashions a savior that cannot save, misuses my name, forgets I am holy, dishonors mother and father, murders with joy, adulterates himself, steals, lies, and craves what is not his.
Do not behave in these ways toward the Lord your God; for this is what the enemy does. Every repulsive act which the Lord hates, they have done for their gods; for they even burn their sons and daughters in fires to their gods.
Confession: Lord, forgive us our sins. Because you formed our souls you know our hearts. Our number of our days have been determined. You have set the limits for each one of us.
What sin we have done and the goodness we have failed to do, stand together—one and the same. Yet in grace and mercy you forgive even our slightest offence as much as those we most regret.
Thanksgiving: Father, thank you for your kindness to us. Even before we were conceived, you consecrated us; you appointed us to receive forgiveness and the Holy One within. We have never been unknown to you.
With sacred compassion, you watch over us and those who perish in the secret place. For it is you who fashion us all from the womb; you who skillfully wrought us in the depths of the earth. Our framework is never hidden from you.
We give you all thankfulness. You have fearfully and wonderfully made us; our souls know it very well. All your works are wonderful.
Supplication: So, we pray, teach us in our waking and in our dreams to return to innocence; to see the world with you at the forefront.
Help us to not cower from the rhetoric of fools but with courage to say: Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.
He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Blessed be the Lord our God, amen. †
01/31/2021 #128—Sermon Passage, Isaiah 33:14-15
Adoration: O’Father, out from the depths of wisdom you form the fulness of time, moment-by-moment. You move from in and out of the weave with beauty and resolve.
In perfect certainty, day follows night and night—day. The sun, moon and stars give their light—and the rain waters the fields of both the wicked and the righteous. It is indeed a ponderous thing.
If the godless wonder at all about their lives, they will not wonder long, for you will appear soon at their ruin. Being too far off, no one shall help them.
But the Lord, merciful-and-gracious, shelters his people forever. When they’re immoral, they are confronted from within. It becomes a stench all too familiar; a reminder of what they turned from. For they are not to be as the rest, but to be in full portion—pure, holy and righteous…to see God sitting upon his throne, high and lifted up. With the whole earth full of his glory.
For he is a consuming fire, from everlasting to everlasting, the Lord of hosts—holy, holy, holy is the Lord God almighty. The very foundations of heaven and earth shake at his voice. He calls out and smoke—fire—lightning and thunder fill creation…every dark corner is exposed.
All who have seen the King—the Lord of hosts; fall-down in woe. We who love God, know that our lips are unclean and that we dwell amid a people of unclean lips. Yet you O’God touch our mouths with fiery coals, the Lord has atoned for our sins and our guilt has been removed.
Confession: We confess to you our sins and struggles; our pursuit of holiness is not lost in our weakness. For you O’Lord are our strength and our perfection. We are transformed by the power of your grace. Your forge and anvil give shape to our pledge.
We shall arise and shine; for your light has come and your glory has risen upon us. You are the Light of revelation to us, and the glory of your people Israel—sharing in the nourishing root.
Thanksgiving: In gracious mystery, you embrace those you have known from the start. Our hearts are overwhelmed with gratitude.
Thank you for the gift of faith we exercise freely, for the path we follow carefully. It is not a trust out of duty but out of love. Our grateful hearts find contentment in you alone; for you have accomplished everything we could not.
Supplication: Lord, help us to share in all that you delight in, and in all that grieves you too. Teach us to reject the violent words, thoughts, and deeds of the godless. We will not approve of their perversities or of what they say is good, when it is clearly evil. We will not accept perversions as though they were not, nor look upon what greaves you—as though it were normal.
Cause us to see as does the Spirit who indwells our souls. Help us O’God of our salvation; for you Lord-God are as the sun and shield. You give grace and mercy and withhold no good thing from those who walk with you honorably.
Guide us with your counsel we pray, and after all is done, receive us into your glory forever, amen. †
02/14/2021 #129—Sermon Passage, Hebrews 1:1-3
Adoration: Father God Almighty, from the time of the fall—on, you gave types-and-kinds, and words to prophets. You gave dreams to dreamers and whispered to weary hearts. The minds of the faithful searched the heavens for signs and answers.
With great care, you shaped the years into their fullness; and when the time came, you spoke the Final Perfect Word: “Jesus Christ.”
And the Word, that was with you in the beginning—speaking creation—beauty—truth and goodness, became the life and light of men. The true light, which gives light to everyone has shown into the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.
So, make straight the way of the lord. For all things were made through him and for him. The world does not know him but those for whom he came, know him. And all who receive him, who believe in his name, have become the very children of God, born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor man, but of God himself.
And he has given birth to his promise, to dwell in the flesh among us. We have seen his glory and his radiance—as the only son from the father, full of grace and truth. Out of his steadfast love we have received grace upon grace.
Out of his fulness, we have received mercy and assurance; and though no one has ever seen God, the only God, who is at the father’s side, he has made him known to us by his exact likeness.
From there upon the throne, by his power and majesty, he sustains all that he has made. As both lion and lamb he has satisfied the Father’s wrath and made purification for the sins of his people.
Confession: Hear now O’Lord, both our confession of faith and our confession of sin. You alone know the sincerity of our hearts. Each sin differs but none go unnoticed. Our conscience convicts us, for you indwell us. For if we keep silent, our bones will waste away through the groaning and unrest of our souls.
We confess that our resolve is weak, our lives are awkward and our remedies inadequate. Though we love all that is upright we are seldom able to be noble for long. But you, our Prophet, Priest, and King—are noble.
You have forgiven us our sins and yet forgive our sins; for we confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. With sufficient knowledge, confidence, and whole heart, we know that God raised him from the dead and as such—we are saved.
Thanksgiving: Our gratitude is indescribable; for the peace of Christ rules over our hearts. Thank you for calling us into one body and one dwelling.
Thank you that we may teach and caution one another in all wisdom, and in harmony, singing back to you your very words in everlasting thankfulness.
Supplication: Father, help us each moment we breath to draw near to you, even as you draw near to us.
As we seek you first, cleanse our hands and purify your hearts. Guard us from the double-mindedness of this age. Work in us the very disposition you approve of.
Help us to not be anxious about anything, but in everything, through prayer and supplication, make known to you our requests.
We ask that our desires be identical to yours; and that your peace, which surpasses all understanding, will forevermore guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, amen. †
02/21/2021 #130—Sermon Passage, Hebrews 1:4-7
Adoration: O’Lord God, how excellent is your name in all of creation. Before the hosts of heaven and all of mankind, the Father sings your praises. All authority is folded into you and your majesty is proven before us. Superior in every way, humble and true, all of God’s angles are astounded and moved to worship the Son.
So, bless the Lord all you souls who bless, for his thrown is forever—the Father’s wrath is pleased.
For this is he who clothes himself with splendor and majesty. Like a garment, he wraps himself in light. He stretched out the heavens like a tent and laid the beams of his chambers upon the waters. The clouds are his chariot and he rides upon the wings of the wind; for his messengers are the winds and his ministers—the flames of fire.
Who is like God? There is none. You O’Lord sit upon the thrown eternal, holding the scepter of righteousness. It is you who set the earth on its foundations. Like a garment, you covered it with the deep fathoms.
When the waters stood above the mountains, you rebuked them and they fled; at the sound of your thunder, they took to flight. The mountains rose, the valleys sank down to the place that you appointed. You set the boundaries for the waters that they cannot not pass ever again to cover the earth.
It is you who made the moon to mark the seasons and the sun to rise and set at your command. You made the beasts of the field and Man in your image that he should love God, love others and rule over your works.
You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness. O’Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom have you made it all. And though it will certainly wear out and perish, you remain forever; for you are the same always—your years have no end.
When you hide your face, all living things are dismayed. When you take away their breath, they die and return to dust. Yet when you send forth your Spirit, they who have inherited salvation, are restored.
Confession: Our confession is that we know the truth, yet have not made it our garment. We act wise but don’t often understand…
We have sought after answers to the riddles which torment us, but our struggles laugh—heartily and increase. For if we forget or ignore your promises, we accept them as deep and unsolvable mysteries.
But you O’Lord, if we would but daily believe, are our refuge and our redeemer. You are our place of safety. In you, every riddle is solved, for you are God, our God in whom we trust.
You rescue us from every trap and protect our soul’s day and night. You cover and shelter us. Your faithful promises are the armor which protects us.
Thanksgiving: No words are sufficient for gratitude? Yet, moment by moment, we thank and praise you. You know in the depth of our being whether it is true or only false murmurings.
If we do what you say, out of love for you, we are speaking the truth in love, our gratitude is clear. So, we are thankful from the core—out, that you are our God.
Thank you for loving us first, so we may give—reflect—return and restore love in similar ways. Because you forgave, we now forgive. Because you died, we now live. Truly we are restless—if we search for rest outside of you.
Supplication: So, Lord-Christ, we pray now, be our all in all. Help us to keep your name—which is above every name, in our minds and on our lips. For you are the Father’s Final Word—spoken into a fallen world. May we speak You to those who will hear and understand your language.
May we sing to you as long as we live and praise you while we yet have our being. May our meditations and rejoicings please you. May our souls bless you by everything we embrace; and so, the thoughts of our hearts and the words from our mouths.
May your glory endure forever; as you rejoice in the works of your hands. For your sake O’Lord and your glory above all things, we pray, amen. †
02/28/2021 #131—Sermon Passage, Hebrews 1:8-14
Adoration: O’Father, you have shown us your countenance in your most holy Son. The Light has become flesh—purity dwelling in the house of corruption—the deep, wading through the shallows. He is anointed with sorrow and gladness—which spills over onto his own. He is that he is— forever.
And by his word of power, he upholds the universe he has made, and moreover, the bitter souls turned sweet. All things are under his gaze, nothing is hidden from him in the shoals or fractures of the world. You O’Lord are Life among the withering grass and the fading flowers with whom you have walked, loved and chosen.
For we have seen your radiance, the warmth that touches the winter vales and hills—to bring forth your right of inheritance, full of truth, beauty and goodness.
From the right hand of Majesty O’Lord, you rule over the great and the small, the visible and invisible—and the destinies of all creatures.
They are all under your scepter of righteousness, mercy or censure; —many to eternal rewards, yet others, by their own aversions—to everlasting judgment.
So, let all of God's creatures worship the Son. For the nations and the ends of the earth are his possession. He breaks them with his staff. He shatters them to pieces like useless pottery.
Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled.
Blessed are all those who take refuge in him.
Confession: In sorrow O’Lord, we confess our sins, for we have seen their horrid outcome; yet in gladness we confess our love and trust in you. For it is by means of what you have given to us and sustained within us, that we can rejoice to confess.
Truly, it is with the heart that one believes and is justified, and with the mouth that one confesses and is saved.
You O’God have closed our wounds and opened our minds. Our eyes and ears are focused upon your glory—and our souls are freed from this place of death. Nevermore shall we return to receive the wages of sin.
Thanksgiving: Thank you Father, that when we acknowledged our sins and did not cover our iniquity and transgressions you forgave all such wickedness.
Only now from the height to which you have brought them, so grateful are the souls who have seen where they were. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus alone.
Supplication: So, we pray Lord, help us to draw near to you as you shall to us. Cleanse our minds and purify our hearts. Stand at the forefront in our good fight of faith.
Help us to be dedicated to you in the life to which you have called us and about which we have made a good confession in the presence of many. Help us to weigh every thought that guides us to action.
Help us to hold our tongues when silence speaks more clearly, yet in wisdom to boldly proclaim all that pleases you. We ask all things, endure all things and hope all things in Christ our Lord—amen. †
03/14/2021 #132—Sermon Passage, Hebrews 2
Adoration: Lord God our King, in various ways from the beginning, you have told us who you are, what we are to do and how the world is to be. You have stated the truth about all things clearly and have held to a steady course.
You have shepherd your people with grace, mercy and justice. Both in blessings enjoyed—and in curses suffered—your every word has proven reliable. Both mercy and reckoning flow-out from your righteous scepter.
We shall therefore, hold fast to all we have heard and seen. As you sustain us, we will not drift away or neglect this great redemption. For there is no escape for those who pronounce themselves just.
The fires of their own passions consume them. But you O'God, first declared this wonderous salvation—and all your chosen have attested to it. By miracles, signs, wonders, and gifts of the Spirit, you have borne witness according to your will.
You O'Father, have been mindful of man and so the Son of man, nurturing us moment-by-moment, surveying our thoughts, and understanding our hearts. Through dark of night and light of day you have cared for him and crowned him with glory and honor; and subjected everything to his stewardship and rule.
And so, only the Son of man, the Lord and founder of our salvation, can make propitiation through his own humiliation, suffering and the taste of death for all. Then rising—proving that all creation is subject to his sway; and in so doing, bringing many sons to glory. We are perfected and made holy through his blood. We are his and he is ours.
Confession: So, our confession is straightforward. It is heard in our praises and seen in our ways; our behaviors reveal our hearts. We trust solely in him who has walked these same streets of flesh and blood.
He is our only Priest who never falters to do what is right and pure before God, on our behalf. We are the offspring of Abraham in spirit—the children God has given him. So, we do not look to Angles or fellow creatures for salvation.
Thanksgiving: Our gratitude O'Lord is eternal; for you have destroyed the power of death that the Evil-One enjoyed—yet no more will he regale in his delusion. No more will his schemes and diversions confound us.
Though we suffer temptations, we thank you for being our perfect helper, and for proving to be so much better than the lures of false joy.
Supplication: So, as our great Prophet, Priest, and King we are not afraid to ask you for all things. And these things we pray: that our hearts would be true and our word to others—our bond; that we would not wade into sin but cross through on dry land; and that we would have right perspectives, so as to see clearly the wheat from the weeds—the lies amongst the truth.
Give us discernment O’Lord, so that your reasoning, is ours and ours is not the world's. For you are God alone, for whom and by whom all things exist. You have brought your children to glory and made them perfect through suffering, and you are not ashamed to call us brothers.
For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified, are all of one source. We make these petitions for your glory, through our salvation in Christ, amen. †
03/21/2021 #133—Sermon Passage, Hebrews 3:1-6
Adoration: Lord of creation—our Savior and God, you have called us to rise out of the bondage of death—our souls to be dull no more—our minds be restored and our hearts to cease their downward spiral. You have adorned us with holiness and freed us from the mire and bleakness of sin.
Because you were faithful, we have heard your testimony, seen your mighty works, and shared in a heavenly calling which you have herald. For you are our advocate and high priest, God's messenger, and final Word. So, we have pondered you and pondered over you in every way. We have seen you by the scriptures. In every sign, and good proof you have given—there you are.
Though lowly by their own appraisal and faithful to their charge, we esteem those who came before you; for they spoke of you and pointed forward. They knew they lived and labored in the house that you had built. They were honorable, but you O'God, O'Son of God, are greater and more glorious than all.
For God is the only builder and the Son watches over the house of his inheritance. And the children given to him by the Father— are those who hold fast to courage, trust, and hope—to which, they boldly make claim.
For you have said to everyone who confesses you before men, you also shall confess them before the angels of God.
Confession: In this vein, we confess our sins to you; those done in the storms and recklessness of life; and those we have failed to recognize until later in the calm.
Though sins all the same, may our negligent offenses never flow out of arrogance but only from oversight of zealous passions.
Nevertheless, all sin damages the workmanship of your hands and fouls the vessels' you have cleansed. That you have accounted for such wickedness in one perfect-eternal-resolve, must lend pause to our every thought, the words of our mouths and actions that might naturally follow.
Thanksgiving: In giving thanks continually, which our hearts know full well, we shall strive to see sin as it begins and give it no further purchase. Only true gratitude will process our courage and give prudence to our fight.
Thank you O'God for you are the source of our gratitude and founder of our souls.
Supplication: So, what more shall we require than the life you have restored. Yet we know we are feeble. So, we ask O’mighty God that you go ahead of and behind us. Make our hearts and intellect to know your simple and perfect will.
May what salvation has formed and perseveres to form still, bring you even greater delight, if that were possible. Help and cause us to hold onto the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope to the very end. Receive us then into you glory in Christ, amen. †
03/28/2021 #134—Sermon Passage, 1 Samuel 17:41-51
Adoration: O'Lord God, creator of heaven and earth—of stone, flesh and spirit. Many are they that stand in defiance against you; and so too—those whom you love. But you assure your own, saying: "Be strong and courageous; do not fear or be discouraged, for I am the Lord your God who goes with you; and shall never forsake or leave you."
O'Lord, you never dismay or abandon your people; there is none like you, we know that full well. For you are boundless and your name is greatly to be praised in all the earth.
You are to be feared above all gods, for they are but wood, rubble and dust. They are only creatures who deploy their throngs for evil. They are gods of nothing—and like rabid dogs, to be beaten off with a stick.
In delusion, the father-of-lies gathers-up his abhorrent armies. So, the chosen of God draw-up to the line of battle—a valley between them. And as the repugnant hoards stand in the mire—they holler out threats and pomposities with loud and loathsome voices—to cause dissuasion, fear and uncertainty—for that is all they have.
The armies of Living God laugh at their coercions and ask: "Who are these ignorant buffoons that defy the LORD our God? He is the light of our salvation, so whom shall we fear? The LORD is our stronghold and source, so of whom shall we be afraid?"
Your greatness O'Lord, is proven in your power and majesty over all domains. In glorious victory you exalt yourself as head over all. Indeed, everything that in heaven and earth owes its subsistence to you. For you are the triumphant King. You sustain all things, even those which you bring to ruin and utter destruction.
Confession: So, it is with contrite hearts that we confess our every sin, and so too, Christ our redeemer. We confess that you are our God, the only true God—for there is no other.
We confess you Father—Son and Holy Spirt from whom all blessings flow; the purveyor of mercy and justice, changer of hearts, minds, and lives.
Thanksgiving: Thank you Father; for such great a love you have bestowed upon us, that we could be called children of God; and such we are. The world does not know the Savior, so neither does it know us.
He has done great things for us and redeemed us from the ranks of the condemned. How thankful we are that we do not have the spirit of fear, for the Spirit which God gave to us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love, and self-discipline.
Supplication: So, Father we pray, help us to be always on guard, and as such—impossible to deceive. Help us to stand firm in our trust of you, to be courageous and strong, taking heart as we wait for the LORD. Help us to trust in you with all our heart and mind, so that we cannot lean on our own understanding.
May we submit all things to you, for you have made our paths straight, our thinking sound and our desires true. May we in turn, obey your will quietly and adjust ourselves to every circumstance of daily life. For you can do far more and abundantly beyond all that we ask or think. According to the power you work within us, may your will be done.
Blessed be you O’God, Father of our Lord. Your Spirit affords us such great mercies, the cause of our rebirth into a living hope in the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
Guide us always through this life. Hold us dearly in Christ we pray, amen. †
04/11/2021 #135—Sermon Passage, Hebrews 3:7-19
Adoration: Our Father in heaven, how wonderful is your name. Great are your deeds and perfect are your decrees. You have made and chosen your children. You have loved them, not for their works but from the mysterious chambers of your being— where love, grace and mercy reside.
Though many among them benefit and make a clever showing, they cannot maintain their appearance for long. Their unbelieving hearts provoke you and you will show them for who they are.
With hardened hearts, built stone upon stone, they laugh and scoff at the voice of God. Your words O'God are nonsense to them, for they cannot make them out; the condition of their hearts prevents it. They hear what is right but refuse to do it.
The outward evidence of their lives convicts them, for they do not persevere in goodness but in anarchy. And by your righteousness O'God, you swear wrath against them. Why should they enter in to a blessing they have despised? Your place of rest is not their due and your glory is in their judgment.
All people rebel; all go astray—some for only a time and others for eternity. The unashamed will know a sorrowful recompense to the God they deny. Yet those who have heard your voice, whose hardened hearts you have softened, will no more rebel.
They will share in Christ and persevere to the end. Their confidence will hold firm in the heart of saving trust, and their prayers for the disobedient, will go up to God daily.
Confession: So, our confession Lord-God, is the confession of the children of faith whom you have birthed—the depraved become righteous—the lost become saved. Through faith alone—in Christ alone—by grace alone, your little ones O'God, turn to you alone.
We confess that we were rebels, but our rebellion is over, our resistance—overcome by mercy. Though deceived by sin, you have conquered our hearts and minds; renewed our souls and given us the way we should go. We confess you to the world in joy.
Thanksgiving: Our gratefulness is beyond our ability to express, yet we give thanks to you in our hearts, our mouths, and our conduct; for you are good and your love endures forever.
We will tell of your wonderful deeds to all who rebel; for you to save as you will—or condemn as you choose. Either way, we shall give you due thanks for your righteousness, and will sing praises to your name—our Lord most-high and holy. Our souls overflow with thankfulness.
Supplication: We pray O' gracious Lord, that both your mercy and justice shine forth. May you abolish every evil and unbelieving heart that strives to lead astray your flock. Yet, may your gathered be cleansed.
May the dross rise to the surface and removed. Help us trust you just as firmly as when we first believed.
May our roots grow down into you as we build our lives upon you. May our faith grow strong in the truth you have taught us. And may the peace of Christ rule in our hearts, to which we were called to one body—in Christ, amen. †
04/18/2021 #136—Sermon Passage, Hebrews 4:1-13
Adoration: O' Lord, great and mighty, hear our songs of praise—the joyful noise of our hearts. You are the Rock of our salvation, our Lord and great God—King above all.
The perverted who masquerade as gods and their followers, suffer from delusion. For who is like God? In your hand are the depths of the earth and the heights of the mountains. The sea is yours, for you made it, and your hand formed the dry land.
We worship you and bow down. We kneel before you, our maker and sustainer; for you alone are God—our God, and we are the people of you pasture—the sheep of your hand. There is none like you.
The words of our Shepherd draw us to where we go. They are sweet and clear. We hear his voice, lift our heads, and follow. And it is not that such good words are kept from anyone. But the hard-of-heart are hard-of-hearing. What is sweet to us is bitter to them.
They keep themselves and are kept from understanding. They cannot trust and they will not trust. The word of life is gibberish to them. They weigh it as they see it, and find no profit there. So, the Shepherd leaves them where they sit, with their pride and pomposity intact and unbroken.
But the bodies and souls of those united in faith—being trust, gain everything—life, rest, and everlasting joy, just as he has promised. For the Word of our God is living and active. It is a sword sharpened on both sides. It pierces deeply and disjoins both body and soul. It discerns the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
Nothing is hidden from God's sight; everything lies naked and exposed before his eyes, for to him alone we must all give an account. The Lord is slow to anger, and none of us, save one, understand the power of it. His greatness defeats all who rise up against him. The guilty will not go unpunished; his judgment consumes them like chaff.
Confession: So, let us all confess our sins to our great and mighty God; that we may be healed. For If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
We acknowledge our sin to you O'Lord; our iniquities are uncovered; and you have forgiven our every transgression in Christ. By his righteousness we stand; confessing him as Lord, and believing in God who raised him from the dead—our salvation is assured.
Thanksgiving: Therefore, O’Father, Son and Spirit God, we joyfully bless your holy name and give you all thanks. For you are good and your steadfast love endures forever.
Thank you for your faithfulness through the generations. Thank you for being long suffering; your love, goodness, justice, and mercy endure forever.
Supplication: We are blessed now to bring you, our requests. So, in part we pray: Keep us as a people whose hearts do not go astray; for our outward behaviors reveal our inward desires.
Keep us as a people who remember and practice your ways in everything we do. Save those whom you choose while your promise of still stands.
Embolden our trust in you—as a possession of true faith. May our spirits be reverent and in awe before you. Deliver us from the decay of all that surrounds us; for the roots of man are shallow, but never so with you. Keep fresh our acquaintance with our Lord's high sacrifice, for it has swallowed up your wrath, the judgment against us.
May we enter into your very life, and there, be at rest evermore; the work of redemption, complete in Christ—amen. †
05/09/2021 #137—Sermon Passages: 1 Tim. 1:3-5, 2 Tim. 3:14-15 “Mother's Day”
Adoration: O’Lord, blessed are you, the God of our fathers, forever and ever. Yours O Lord, is the greatness, power, and glory of victory evermore. For all that is in heaven and earth is yours, and you are exalted as Master over all your kingdom.
Both riches and honor come from you. In your hand are power and might. You make great and give strength to your advocate. And to your enemies, you give cautions and warnings before judgment.
O’Lord, nothing in the material realm will satisfy our hearts—only the fulfilled eternal order—our desire for you—can quench the fires you have stoked within us.
Though mortal beings formed in the heart of a sensuous earth and way, we are yet, attracted to the eternal and destined for its embrace; one to glory, the other to despair. One to the hearth stone, the other to the shadows.
For we know, that whoever would save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for the sake of Christ, will find it. For what will it profit anyone who gains the whole world: human love— children—possessions, yet losses their soul for these things? Or what shall anyone give in return for their soul?
For the Son of Man will come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what they have done. Having been loved—did they love? Having received mercy and grace—does mercy and grace go forth from them?
Your word upon our hearts O'Lord, informs our souls. So, when we sit in our homes, walk by the way, lie down, and rise again, we shall diligently teach our children all of your ways. They will know that we are yours when they hear and see you—moving through us.
Confession: And yet Lord, we confess our ill-conceived notions and our futile efforts to control a destiny apart from your word. Our desires are often confused but you O'Lord, bring us clarity, joy, solemnness, and perseverance.
We confess what our understanding has not always considered: That no one, but One, can redeem the life of another or give a price for that life; for it is costly to redeem from the grave—to pay for life-everlasting. These precious things are in your hands.
Thanksgiving: O’Lord, our God, we thank you and give praise to your glorious name. We are thankful to serve you, for you chose your servants, the children of forebearers—who in clear conscience bore witness, prayed, and gave thanks.
Day-by-day, with glorious vision of things to come, they exercised the faith you gave to them—and by your mercy bore children enjoined to faith.
Supplication: So, we pray Father, help us remember and ask that the gift of faith go also to our beloved. May our prayers fill your throne room night and day with harmonious tones—that through our tears and longings, we may be filled with joy.
May our holy desires, reflect the faith of our fathers, mothers, and grandmothers through whom our spirits did emerge, to prove that you have shown mercy-and-grace evermore.
Help us now to continue in all we have learned and firmly believed, knowing from whom we learned it, and how from childhood, by those who loved us in you and acquainted us with your hallowed word, have been made us wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
In his glorious and powerful name, we pray, amen. †
05/30/2021 #138—Sermon Passage, Hebrews 5-6:1-12
Adoration: O'Lord our Savior, as God and man, you have loved God and rejoiced in obedience of all that the Father commands. You are at the very heart of the Father. Your laws O'God are as nourishment to our souls and you delight to be our righteousness. In our stead you fulfill everything required of us.
Though some, as recompense for sin or to balance the scales, will perform acts of concession, they cannot appease your wrath. For they are unable do for themselves—what only the Son can do. The great and awful burden is His alone. Only purity and Joy can endure and conquer the despair and corruption of the world.
But still, the reckless priests, like those whom they serve, are wayward, ignorant and spineless. They are disobedient and bathe themselves in every offense toward God. They are weak-willed, faint-hearted, and cowardly.
But never so with the Son. As a man, in obedience through suffering, he was, is and became the pure-spring-of-salvation. His people drink from him for he is life and liberty. All who obey and trust in him—live; for he is the Truth, the Life, and the Way; indeed, the only means to the Father.
Sinless vicar—perfect and final sacrifice; he appeases God's wrath with himself, for others. He is the only entrance to heaven revealed. In heart, mind, soul, and strength his love and reverence for the Father's will is proven by his passions and deeds. His prayerful petitions attest to the truth, that he alone is our high priest and the King of heaven forever.
Many are drawn only to the taste of knowledge and the pleasure of gifts—the good things of God and his glorious power, but they crave only the benefits and not the benefactor.
Their acts of false repentance show their contempt for God's grace and mercy. They drink from the source of Joy even as they embrace the worthlessness of their own desires. They seek the blessings but not him who blesses. God however, delights in right motives which only righteousness affords.
Confession: So, with both fallen and yet rising hearts, in Christ, we can and will confess our daily sins. For as we understand them better, they trouble us more deeply and we despise them more sincerely.
In confession, O'Lord, awaken us daily in greater love for you—that our sins may ever sleep in the dust, never to arise again. We so confess our need and desire, that our sins be restrained now and soon forever subdued.
Thanksgiving: Thank you Father for salvation in Christ—our great high priest and King. Thank you for mercy which through grace and death you grant life everlasting to your own.
Thank you for being long suffering throughout our complacencies—moving us along at various times and in various ways as you mold our misshapen souls. Thank you for the simple doctrines that have taken us into the depths of your word—where there we see you.
Supplication: Keep us now O'Lord from being dull of mind, dull hearing and easily confounded by your revelations. Help us to not evade any spiritual issues or to cut moral corners to take the easy way out.
Help us to be more sympathetic and loving to others; for we are prone to be self-centered and lost in self-pity. For all such things serve only to pull us under and sweep us away.
Teach us to do all things with reverence as we ought. Train us through constant practice to distinguish between good and evil. Help us mature into teachers who carefully consider the heart of each matter; being skilled in the word of righteousness and no longer lacking discernment, like infants unable to speak.
Help us to mature with full assurance of hope until the end, and through faith and patience, to inherit the promise. For the glory and sake of Christ who has perfectly done all that is needed, and in beauty and authority of his name, we pray, amen. †
06/13/2021 #139—Sermon Passage, Hebrews 6:13-20
Adoration: O’Lord our God, no one is greater than you. Your promises are perfectly trustworthy. The moment you speak them—is as though they proved true long ago.
Though you guarantee with an oath, your swearing is upon yourself. Though our faith is weak, your integrity stands strong. You prove over and over that what you say you will do—you do. When you say you will do this or that—it is done.
There is no wavering, no shadow of doubt can shake your pledge or cause you to move off course. Those who wait patiently have nothing to fear; for they possess already—what they cannot see or yet touch, but with us it is not so; even when we speak a perfect vow, our hearts are yet corrupt and we forget what we promised, or have said without strength.
So, while we change, hope weakly and fear greatly, our courage is in you—our unchangeable and true God—who does not lie; and our hope is in Christ—our righteousness King forever.
He is the promise that is set before us; the steadfast anchor of our souls, who sits at the right hand of the Father. In perfect love, power and might, he acts always on our behalf.
As Prophet, Priest and Righteous King forever, he stands before his beloved and beckons: come forth, He fulfills all that we have failed to fulfill and sustains every one of us to the end.
Therefore, let us stop our wondering about what we must do and dispense with all uncertainty, for we are his and he is ours, there is no other.
Confession: Yet, we must confess: it is a lie to say we have mastered our confidence; or that we no longer need reminding. It is a lie to say our trust does not wavier or that we never forget your promise.
So, Lord God, we confess our sins and our irrational weaknesses. We confess our lack of faith—for we know that all things are possible for those who believe; and though we believe, help our unbelief.
Thanksgiving: Thank you for your gracious and merciful treatment of the lost. You provide life for those who fear you and you remember your covenant with them forever.
We give all thanks to you Lord King of righteousness. You have clothed us in holy garments, that we may stand before you unashamed. So, we praise you Lord and give you thanks with our whole heart. For you are majestic in all your ways and we delight in every one—your righteousness endures forever.
Supplication: Now O'Lord, help us to fear no man but to grow in wisdom, righteousness, fear and wonder of our great God. May our praises of you endure forever! May we look upon our circumstances, upon heartache, unrighteousness and evil and know that you are God—your steadfast love endures forever.
Give us now the assurance we have not rallied on our own. For though our souls are earthbound you are heavenly and dwell deep within our being. We ask all things, hope all things, and endure all things in the love of Christ our Savior, amen. †
06/27/2021 #140—Sermon Passage, Galatians 1-2, 2:20
Adoration: Blessed be God—Eternal Father, Son, and Spirit most holy. Hollowed be your name O’ High King of Heaven. You give grace and peace to all who are with you; whom you have formed again and set aright.
And according to your perfect will Father, our Lord and Savior gave himself for our sins, delivering us from this present evil to the glory of God forever and ever. Christ is–and has given the gospel. Its content is set; there is no other—we know of none.
Only the dead in spirit claim a contrary view and create deception with cunning options and enlightened opinions. They decimate their own lives and the lives of others; for they are the enemies of God and hate all that he is.
Their own ruin is at the center of this rebellion. Many approve of their rhetoric and pomposities; for such, is pleasing to their love of sin. Let them, each one be saved or accursed according to your will Father. Either way, each will know that you are God and there is no other.
And the servants of Christ cannot waiver, will not compromise and shall not stand down. For the gospel of man is rubbish and awash with the stench of death. And though we have no want of sin, its scent is yet upon us and we taste it in the air.
It is a strange state of being—this transformation and disapproval of sin. You only O’God give us grace through our trust in Christ. Even before our birth you set us apart from the decaying world. You send us away, as it were, to bring us back anew, no longer destroyers but builders—planters—tillers and harvesters.
And though we travel fast through our days, we do not run in vain; for we are no longer slaves to our own desires. For Christ did not die without purpose but for righteousness to stand; that the schemes of the evil one and the foolishness of men, would fade away.
Confession: So, we confess both our involvement and our disapproval of sin’s worthlessness. Rooted in the fragrance and beauty of Christ, our lives are now his and we gladly confess our dependance upon him and the Holy spirit who sustains us to his glory. We further confess that our sin does not make Christ a servant of sin, for he is sinless.
We cannot rebuild what is torn down—this is the way of sin; for though the law of God destroys, the kindness of God restores and brings to life what has died. And if we are crucified with Christ, he lives within us—we can never again be what we were.
Thanksgiving: So, our gratitude O’ King of heaven, is upon your altar. Thank you, for we know that we are not what we were, nor yet what we shall be.
Thank you that we are justified through faith in Jesus Christ—trusting in him alone for our righteousness and not in our own pitiful deeds. For His law rests upon our souls; we shall no longer follow the rules we’ve created to have praise in ourselves. In Christ, our souls are free from such toil and strife.
Supplication: Now Father, we ask always that you keep us in step with the truth of the gospel. New life is by faith in the Son of God who loves us and gave himself for us; increase therefore, our faith.
May the influential and the powerful make no difference to us; for you O’Lord are not partial to human persuasion. May we give the right hand of fellowship to all, for it is a gracious and merciful gift from God who always remembers the poor.
Help us to keep hypocrisy from our works, that it should not seep through the cracks of our weaknesses. All this, we ask for the Sake of Christ—to the glory of God, amen. †
07/25/2021 #141—Sermon Passage, Ephesians 2:1-10
Adoration: Blessed be you O’God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. You have given us the Word of truth, the Gospel of your salvation, and we have believed in him whom you sent.
Though we were dead in our sins—the passions of our flesh and our desires for disobedience; you have saved us from all of that. And sealed us in the Holy Spirit, the assurance of our inheritance—to the praise and glory of Christ our Lord.
O’Father, by your will—desire—grace and mercy in the work of our Lord, we are the Saints of Christ; faithful by design, at peace through his suffering and redeemed from the mire of death and sin.
For in Christ, we are blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. Even before the foundations of the world were set, you chose us in him, for our redemption—to make us holy and blameless before you.
In love, you predestined us and adopted us to yourself, that according to the purpose of your will, we would become your sons and daughters through Christ. And all of this was done to the praise of your glorious grace in your beloved Son, our Lord.
According to the riches of your grace which you have lavished upon us in Christ through his blood, we have redemption and the forgiveness of our sins.
In all wisdom and insight, you have made known to us the mystery of your will, which is according to the purpose you established in Christ, Jesus. From the heart of eternity came a plan, that at the fullness of time you would reunite all things in heaven and on earth in Jesus Christ.
Confession: Lord God, in realization of your mercies, we mournfully confess, that like the rest of mankind, we were by nature, children of wrath.
But in joy we confess, that even though we were dead in our sins and trespasses, because you are so very rich in kindness and have loved us beyond our comprehension, you have made us alive together with Christ. Who can understand such compassion?
We confess Cheerfully, that we have been saved by grace through faith. Our trust in Christ—is life itself. And so, as Scripture proves: it is only by grace that we can confess our faith in Christ alone, to the glory of God alone. These things, as one thing—we confess.
Thanksgiving: Thank you Father for raising us up with Christ; and seating us with him—who sits with you; our sojourn arrived, the heavenly places—found. Thank you also for the confidence in—and the assurance of the days to come, where you shall display your endless riches of grace and kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
We are so very thankful, that none of this is by our own doing. It is neither the result of our decision, nor of any works to appease your wrath, but rather, it is the gift of blessings in Christ to us. So, our gratitude is eternal.
We cannot and shall not boast of anything; for we are your workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which you prepared for us in advance, so that by grace, we may humbly and confidently, walk in them.
Supplication: Therefore, we ask only this: Be glorified O’Father—Son and Spirit God. Let all the world fade into dust and return anew, cleansed. Let every star fall and the sun hide its face at the return of our savior Jesus Christ.
Our desire now, is for your glory, honor and majesty. This is our prayer in Christ our Lord, amen. †
08-08-2021 #142—Sermon Passage, Hebrews 9-10
Adoration: Father God, your grandeur, mercy, and grace embrace us; we know it full well. You have put your laws in our minds and written them upon our hearts.
You are God alone and we are your people. You make yourself known to us and we know you. Your light is upon us and your Word intreats us to see you clearly. For many say they have come to know you, but do not keep your commandments; they are liars, and the truth is not in them.
At the beginning, you weaved together body and soul—spirit and blood. From the dust of the earth, you formed our bodies and from your very mouth you breathed into us—living spirit. You imbued your image upon us and set us upright in the way we should go. By your design, we are both many and one; blood-of-blood—spirit-of-spirit.
The life you give is a tapestry of the visible and invisible—for the substance of our lives are both. Though they are easily parted, apart, we are less; for as one—body and soul flourish.
The visible makes known the invisible; earthly points to the heavenly. You give the tangible to reveal the intangible—the more coherent and real. Our minds cannot fully conceive what our hearts wholly desire.
So, the forgiveness of the sins of wretches, is doled out upon them by judgment in the body of virtue. The flow of innocent blood to give life and freedom to the captive and dead.
A new covenant full of grace and righteousness; Almighty-God sitting at the right hand of God-Almighty. He is destroyer of sin, the sword of justice; the Word become flesh and the light of men that darkness can never overcome. Who can grasp what has been done by God?
Confession: And what can we do but confess that we have lived wickedly, chosen sin-over-virtue and rebellion-over-obedience? But you, O’God, are merciful toward our iniquities and you remember our sins no more.
Born of Adam—born in sin, we confess now our need of rebirth-in-Christ—our Lord and Savior. He is the torn curtain, through which we enter the holiest place.
So, this is our profession of trust: Whoever confesses that Jesus Christ—the Holy One of God; is the Son of God—God abides in him, and he abides in God. Not just by these words spoken, but by the power of God in regeneration to new life.
Thanksgiving: So, we give thanks to you in Christ O’Father-God. We give thanks to you throughout all our circumstances; for we know that they are your will in Christ Jesus. Thank you for the forgiveness of our sins.
We give thanks to you, for you are good and your steadfast love endures forever. Thank you that in Christ we have entered the Holy of Holies as both our home and destiny come. Through all eternity—we shall sing your praises.
Supplication: Lord, now we pray that you will be our strength and our shield. That our hearts and minds will stay true to Christ who knows our sorrows and our joys, has compassion upon our lives and is with us always.
May our hearts exult you O’Lord with our songs of thanksgiving and may our minds always be set upon your glory. Cleaned from an evil conscience and washed in purest water, may we draw near to you with hearts in full assurance and trust.
There is nothing we can ask that you cannot do, so we ask that your perfect will be done on earth as it is in heaven. It is for your glory in-Christ we pray, amen. †
08-15-2021 #143—Sermon Passage, Hebrews 10:19-39
Adoration: O’Father, you have given us your Son, and He, the Spirit. Be glorified now in your people as your eternal glory shines through all creation. For you by your Word O’God—spoke, and the universe soared into existence.
Who are we to have access to your thrown room? That you should even consider us, is inexplicable. Yet, we can approach you in faith, trusting in every promise and every gift. For it is you, who in love, hold us tight to life. We are living, for you O’Lord, are living. You are the living God who sustains us.
We know all that you have done, for you’ve taught us by the language of life. In you O’ High-Priest, the vail is torn open, all obstacles fall aside, all condemnation fades from our souls; and we soar now upon your presence and cast ourselves upon your love.
With submissive hearts, cleansed and full of trust, we have been purified-by-purity, made virtuous-by-virtue and now live within life’s core: it is to you O’Lord that we hold fast.
Through perseverance we stand with you—a community against all who provoke your kindness by their foolish-deeds and false-teachings; who worship false-gods and curse your name. They trampled the Son of God underfoot and violate the covenant of his blood; and the Spirit of grace is outraged.
Because their conscience reveals what is true, their judgment is worse than others. Let those who live a false-way, who do not trust, do not obey, and do not bear the fruits of godliness, be accursed; for they have rejected authentic-true-virtue to follow their own concessions, as indeed their feeling direct.
Confession: Our confession of faith O’ Father, is true and not of our own making. It is out of the love you have proven in Christ. We were steeped in sin and condemnation, but by mercy and grace in Christ, have been forgiven.
By such, we are encouraged and will encourage others. By such, we follow the Messiah with confidence into the holy-place where you reside. His blood has cleansed us and changed us from combatants to innocent and pure children; no longer distant but familiar and intimate.
We are embraced by a confession of hope that will not let us waver—but see us through. We shall wander no more, nor toil in vain. Your teachings produce hope and trust, for you are faithful and you prove it so, day-in and day-out.
Thanksgiving: Thank you for the gift of faith, for salvation, life, and the glory to come. Thank you for all that encourages our endurance, and the assurance of Christ, our inheritance.
Supplication: We ask now that you would be with us who are sick and wounded. Help us to exercise endurance by practicing your will. Keep us from Shrinking back and inviting your displeasure in us. Help us to never retreat or surrender.
May we strengthen one another to trust you rather than the weak and unrooted ideas of the heart. Help us to never reject what we have trusted and understood, but to be wise in our endurance.
Help us to return to you humbly if should willfully sin. For if we are truly yours, we can never refuse to repent of our sins; it is not possible. Preserve now and forever our souls in Christ, we pray for the glory of Christ, amen. †
08-22-2021 #144—Prayer of Adoration, Passage, Hebrews 11 “God’s Gift of Faith”
O’God—our Father, Our Lord, and Spirit of Holiness; we are assured, confident and secure in our hopes and convictions, and you commend us for trusting in you—and you alone.
You grant to us assurance and hope like no other. It is not just an idea of what belief is—or of our desire that a thing be true, but rather, a superior trust based in the evidences you have displayed everywhere. No corner of reality stands on its own accord.
By your mighty and powerful command, you brought the universe into existence—all that is in the cosmos: the stars and worlds, the earth and space, living bodies and spirits. Everything seen and unseen—is from your hand.
You O’God have established all things and have blessed our souls with kindness. Your mighty works support our reliance upon you. You give us just what we need and praise us for bringing it to bear.
Because you are holy, our sacrifices will be holy. We shall not bid you false or unsuitable tribute, but shall honor your name with what pleases you. So that even in death, our declarations of life will be known.
For you are the King of life. You reward and watch over those who trust and honor you, who draw near to you with confidence and who do your will in reverence and awe.
Many are saved and many condemned by the faith of one. Though we may suffer from reticence, in wonderous anticipation, we shall go to where you send us O’God. For we trust in your faithfulness.
Like the stars of heaven and the sands by the seas, you have multiplied your people in love. Like those before us who saw the promise from afar, we seek the homeland beyond.
We are wonderous travelers, strangers, and exiles in a land clearly not our own. For it is you and no other who bids us well and summons us to the city of promise. We are therefore, confident that nothing can halt your plans for us.
If we stumble, you will help us up; if we are injured, you will heal our wounds and if we die, you will raise us from the dead. Surely your blessings now and those to follow—are the foundation of our hope.
And so, we shall not fear Kings, rulers, or authorities; for reproval from Christ—is a much greater fear. For it is better to be troubled, poor and mistreated with family, than to enjoy the life of a fool with those whom the Destroyer pursues.
And though we will be mocked, imprisoned, beaten, and tortured to death, we shall not acquiesce: For we know that God will raise us up to glory and bring down to ruin his enemies. Neither death by sword or escape of the sword will change our resolve.
The people of God trust in God. Out of weakness, we are made strong. As we receive God’s promises, we shall: Enforce justice, be Mighty in war and Conquer Kingdoms. Though we might fear distress, we will walk with assurance into the heart of the furnace and the lion’s den.
Though we will wander through deserts and mountains, and in the depths earth; we will no longer be part of a world unworthy of those in Christ. We shall pass safely through the shadows of death and fear no evil; for the LORD our God—is God in the heavens above—and on the earth below. Blessed by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, now and evermore, amen. †
09-12-2021 #145—Sermon Passage, Zephaniah 3:14-20 “Ode to Joy”
Adoration: Father God, you are the Potter and we are the clay. Many know that you are God alone, yet, they make their abode with the gods of the earth. But you are indeed—God alone and you dwell with your people always. Those whom love, stand with you. Those who oppose you, and have no regard for the Holy will be swept away in righteous judgment.
You will completely remove the wicked. For they seek only what they desire and are easily moved to swear by what they think might work. They worship everything but Almighty God. Their chattering prayers and mumbled chanting provoke you O’LORD and kindle your wrath against them.
They fill your house with violence and fraud, for they intermix the Holy and the profane. They are blind and staggering; for their blood is lifeless, like the dung and dust of the earth. Your burning anger O’Lord will be their reward.
Though healing and truth come from the God they offend, they persist in their passions and deceit. Yet, still you warn them O’God, saying: “Be silent before me; for my judgment is near, and is coming to the dull-hearted who disregard my glory. For them, my wrath will be bitter. I will flood their houses with distress, anguish and ruin.
Their reckless mocking’s will be answered, for I am God alone. And by my wrath, the remnant will have hope, assurance, and joy. For I am mindful of them who stand and rejoice with me. My judgment and revenge are their victory and restoration. My fame will fill the heavens and the earth and the truth of the matter will be known.”
Confession: Hear then our confessions O’LORD and forgive us our sins. Though we no more follow our self-passions, we have not stood against the world as well as we could. We have not stopped it, but given quarter to the enemy.
So, all that is forbidden is still among us; and we have listened to the dull-of-heart too quietly; and considered their words as though worth considering. The ugliness of their ways and the stench of death is all about.
But you O’Lord emanate beauty and fragrant life. How could we have missed it for a moment. Forgive us O’mighty God and awake us from our stupor. In your great mercy, gather us together again and again, for our joyful return is in your hands.
Thanksgiving: Our songs of thanksgiving will fill the mountains, forests, and deserts. Its very resonance will demolish every stronghold and crush every temple. You have taken away the judgment against us and destroyed the enemy, and we rejoice in our praise of you.
Thank you, O’LORD, for giving us our voices; that with the sound of the trumpets will reverberate and fill the universe with your glory.
Supplication: Change now our language, and that of the nations, to a pure tongue. May we be humble and lowly; find our refuge in you; do nothing unjust, speak no lies, practice no deceit and fear no evil. May we rejoice in the assurance that you are in our midst.
For we know that you are the mighty one who saves, who delights over us and quiets our hearts with your love. Bring us in O’Lord, gather us to your thrown. We speak and pray through Christ our savior, amen. †
09-26-2021 #146—Sermon Passage, Hebrews 11:20-23
Adoration: Father in heaven—giver of light and life—O’Lord our savior and Holy Spirit our Perfector: You are God. You are our creator, the sculptor of body and soul—the universe and all that is in it. You are Worthy—Reliable—Unchangeable and Pure.
You are Holy, and Purity beyond our grasp. Yet, that we may know you, trust you and obey you, you have revealed your unknowable-self, in your Son—our Lord. For it is you who have established our reasons for trusting. The confidence we enjoy is not of our own making; it is based in all that you are, all that you have done and all that you have promised to do.
You have given our hearts the greatest respect for your holiness. We see Justice and Mercy flowing as a river from your love. For your love is holy and cleanses your people—all chose before a word was spoken. So, we shall both live and die in complete trust of you.
Those who love you, know and believe you. What you do and have done, testifies to them, of both your integrity in promises and the reality of their fulfilment. You O’God are faithful, for you are merciful to your people. We subsist in and upon your grace. A trusting heart, is a gift-given to those to whom the Son reveals you.
Our faith is not a thing of our own making. For we are but a clay that is shaped and molded by a king. He makes us into useful vessels and objects of beauty from the dirt of the earth. And because we know him, our trust is justified, for by it, he justifies us.
It is the essence of deep fellowship; for we do not know him from a distance but from within. He has taken us into himself.
Confession: Lord, we confess that you are the author of our faith yet we are its employer. Help us when we forget, for we should be, by now, deeply rooted and fully growing.
We confess our weaknesses and our wavering. We know that the only true privilege is the trust that you have undergirded in us; for there is no greater privilege than this—that true knowledge based in trust: agrees, approves, accepts and complies joyfully.
So, our confession is that we will trust in you O’LORD, yet our trust is weak. You have enlightened our minds with knowledge of you and given us fellowship with you; and we joyfully acknowledge our dependence upon you to be our source of right thoughts—right words and right deeds; for our fallenness, though no longer complete, yet damages our resolve.
Thanksgiving: Thank you O’God for the gift of faith. Thank you for the grace and mercy behind it.
We shall prove our gratitude throughout eternity; for it is the forever condition of our hearts.
Supplication: We ask now for your blessings. That we will with every breath recognize what is true, and that it always unites with mind and soul to change our very image into that of Christ.
We pray Father, increase our ability, and resolve that we may more deeply trust in all you have said and done. And if our ideas or desires ever differ from yours, strengthen our tenacity and courage to discard them.
Help us to trust in you and not in our own understanding. Make us immovable in Christ, for it is in Him and through Him we ask all things, amen. †
10-10-2021 #147—Sermon Passage, Hebrews 11:24-28
Adoration: O’God our Father—LORD of Lords—Holy Spirit of truth, how wonderful are all your ways. You have made us yours and you are ours. You love whom you choose and redeem all that you love. From all things low and great, you bring about your purposes.
Nothing is outside of your view and resolution. You are Holy, Good and Righteous—our Lord and friend. You are as a flowing river of life, making a jagged rock—smooth. Yet those that will not turn, are reduced to sand. Nothing and no one can stand above you; for this is your creation and you alone are Lord and King over it.
The powerful and perverse pursue immorality with deftness. They have made corruption into an art that yields them wealth and prosperity. Their skills of mistreatment and self-importance have shaped only misery.
With no discernment, they cannot see their own impoverished souls. Every word spoken against you, will go back as rotten food, into the mouths of fools. The sin they swallow has becomes their nourishment.
But not so for those whose trust is not in themselves. Whose food is the bread of life and whom you are making smooth and beautiful. You O’Lord are their desire and treasure. Those who know and trust you, know that nothing so brief as the pleasures of sin will profit them.
For you have made them to see down into the heart of the world from where they came. So, they joyfully join with those of whom the world has no need. Even in the severest trials and darkest valleys, there you are with them.
Confession: Our confession O’Lord is our acknowledgment of who we are, and who our God is. It is of what we have done and what you have undone. It is of the knots we tie which you have unloosed.
Let therefore, our confession be true, that our suffering is little—compared to the glory of Christ. We confess both our fears and our stance against fear; for you O’Lord are our shield and the center and object of our trust.
We cannot and will not trust in anyone but you, for you have reasoned with our hearts and are now the means of our reliance. Yet still, we confess our haunting doubts—the remnant of our nature. But you are kind and long enduring. You give to us and teach us the virtue of trust. It is the foundation of all other virtues.
Thanksgiving: Thank you for every gift you give and yet promise. Your gifts and deeds reflect your glory and are the heart and key of our assurance. Thank you for being the truth, our source of life and the foundation of our trust.
Because You prove yourself trustworthy in all things, we do not have a faith divorced of reason. It is never a blind faith, but with eyes and heart wide open, we trust you in full assurance.
Supplication: Give us now an integrity that does not faulter; that the world may see your integrity in ours, and know that the source of our trust, is solid. Increase our faith we pray.
We ask all things in Christ, who can do all that we ask and more, amen. †
10-17-2021 #148—Sermon Passage, Hebrews 11:29-31
Adoration: O’Gracious God our Father, with Son and Spirit Almighty. How greatly does the world hate and insult your holy name? They will not and cannot see through the deep, for the darkness keeps its secret. Unless you quicken their souls, they cannot trust in what is true. The minds and hearts of the dead embrace their dissent with unshakable faith.
And your chosen will suffer reviling and the withering assaults of the enemy. Yet at every onslaught and insoluble front, you give them safe passage; either for a time or through the corridors of glory.
Your strong-arm wheels destruction; for you are the victor and the victory; the great warrior King who goes first into battle; never yielding—or giving quarter to the enemy.
Yet still, they fail to grasp their demise or the consequence to follow. Every criminal knows that the Judge is fair and just; and he hates that Judge for it. He wants to do away with all judgments; and even more, to brings evil against the Judge and all that the Judge loves deeply.
Yet the verdict still comes, a fair punishment still falls. The valleys and walls of death engulf the wicked. The Judge himself strikes them into dust. The arrogant and prideful become as shivering stalks of tare.
For they have miscalculated and disregarded whom it is—they have engaged. All those who hate God and all that God loves, will sink into a dark and eternal depth of despair.
So, we—God’s own, must exclaim: Let the sea rage and do its worst—our trust is in God. Let the enclosures, that the rebellious have built, fall to the ground—our trust is in God; and let the defiant perish in their delusion, for our trust is in God who has warmly welcomed us into the Way of Life—by the Son of Truth.
Confession: We confess O’Lord, that we are not who we were. We have come to see our sins for what they were and are. Although they whisper to our conscience, our backs are turned against them. We are moored as wheat in good soil, moved by wind and bathed in light, you have nurtured us for the harvest.
We confess that you have made our trust possible; and although weakly, we bear it nobly. So, our faith compels us to confess, that you are God alone and our means of knowing you. You are trustworthy and sufficient in every way and all circumstances.
Therefore, in you, we will walk on solid ground; the earth itself a companion. While many sink in the sand—death falling in upon them—we shall yet walk straight and true; for as a trusted shield, your grace and merciful array—surround us.
Thanksgiving: Our thankfulness to you O’God is our banner. We are thankful for your Word to us and that you hear our words back. Thank you for your reliability and strength during the calm and in the heat of battle. Thank you for being completely honest, for we know you cannot lie and you always keep your promises.
Supplication: Give us we pray: Strength through Humble Submission; Escape from pride and the lure of sin and Discerning and Careful hearts—ready always to speak the truth in love and kindness. Keep us from evil that pursues the mind and confronts the heart daily.
Give to us clear passage, yet teach us also how to fight and die well. These things and more we ask in Christ our Lord, amen. †
10-24-2021 #149—Sermon Passage, Hebrews 11:32-40
Adoration: O’God, what more can we say than what you have revealed to us through time: in heroes—by deed and word—Flesh and Spirit? Lord-God we trust: You are one; the only living and true God; self-existent, infinite in being and perfection.
Who but yourself can understand your essence? You are exquisitely pure Spirit—immense—inexplicable and whole. Your love and understanding do not waver.
Though your ways are unfathomable, we discern—as you reveal. Yet your character is unchanging and almighty. You dwell in eternal burning-light, which no one can approach—lest you shield them. For you O’God are Holy in every countless aspect.
Perfectly wise and free, you work all things according to your righteous will—for the express purpose of your glory. The counsel of your steady righteousness—is a set course; it does not move from center.
Loving, gracious, merciful, and patient, you overflow with goodness and truth. For glory-sake, you forgive the remorseful of their iniquity, transgression, and sin. They are overjoyed by your countenance, for you reward those who seek you diligently. Yet still, your judgments are perfectly fair and altogether terrifying.
For you hate all sin—and the guilty—who have given their souls away, will be punished forever. Their offenses are no small matter. And we know that you O’Lord, are all-sufficient. All splendor—life—beauty and goodness dwell in you.
You do not require the presence of any creature you have made—nor do you receive your glory from them. But rather, you demonstrate your glory in them, by them and upon them as you please. For you alone are the source of all being.
Everything is from you, through you, and to you. All things are laid bare, open, and evident before you—for you know all things as they are and are to be. Your plans, works and commands are holy and every creature owes you alone their worship, service, and obedience and whatever else, that you are pleased to require of them.
Confession: O’God of wonder, joyfully we confess, that we are yours and you are ours. Therefore, we know what must be done.
For you have said: “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. Whoever does not love me, does not keep my words.”
So, although our workings lack perfection, in Christ, perfection is granted; in him we move and have our being.
Thanksgiving: So, with thankful hearts O’Lord, our souls are in your refuge. We give thanks, for by faith you have conquered kingdoms and circumstances of every kind.
Every promised, holding true now and in all the days to follow.
Supplication: Father-God we pray: If torture is allowed, keep our hearts strong, that we will refuse any offer but yours—to rise again to a better life. May we endure every mocking-mouth and every abuse that is not justly averted.
Whether thrashings, imprisonment, or death, we are safely held by your mighty hand. Though in deserts, on mountains, or in the dens of the earth, keep us true to Christ and your indwelling Spirit.
Father, Son, and Spirit, you O’God are the foundation of all of our fellowship. Our dependence is upon you and in you. You are our comfort now and forever-and-ever, amen. †
11-14-2021 #150—Sermon Passage, Hebrews 12
Adoration: O’Father in Heaven, Almighty God—Lord Christ, Founder and Perfector of Our Faith—and most Holy Spirit of Truth: How great are your ways; how magnificent are your works and how beautiful is your appearance to the poor, meek and hungry.
Who does not fall-down as a quaking reed before you? Even the delusional—who hate you passionately, know that their hour soon approaches.
But you have surrounded us with true witness, lifted from us our clinging sins and given us strength to persevere, our burdens suffered by Christ. For though he hated the shame of his cross, he endured it in view of the beauty at his Father’s right hand…the very throne of God.
Therefore, we shall not grow weary or faint of heart. For though we have not suffered as he, we are yet sons and daughters of the King—thankful for his discipline and correction—so that we do not spoil like the illicit and the dead.
Though in discipline our hands be slapped, our tongues be hedged and hearts be allayed, we esteem the Father who loves us; who trains us for peace and righteousness. Your holiness O’God brings an end to our rebellion. May any hardship you warrant, cause us to see your glory more clearly and your love more plainly.
For a tempest of blazing fire or darkness and gloom do not stay our approach. We do not tremble in fear of death, but in awe of the living God, his glory, his heavens, and his justice. With the angles, with all who are made perfect, we praise the judge of righteousness—his covenant and our mediator the Lord through his sacrifice of blood.
We will not refuse or reject your word O’God. We do not desire an escape from truth. Those who throw-it-away never loved you, never yielded, nor cared to understand. For it is your voice that shapes—and shakes all of creation—from, and into dust.
It is your winds that save or blow-away the sands-of-time and the folly-of-men. And the things that will not be destroyed, that have been hidden, will appear as-they-are and evermore shall be.
Confession: O’Father, hear now our confessions through our Lord, for the Spirit has moved our hearts and humbled our ways. Our swords were neither true, nor righteous; so are put away into their place.
For you bless the peacemakers, and call them sons of God. You have shaken us to the core and remade us from the dust. We stand now in confession with the armies of your realm.
Thanksgiving: Thank you for giving us a kingdom that cannot be shaken. Thank you for your mercy to us, that in reverence and awe our worship may be suitable.
We are grateful to know, that you are a consuming fire and a flowing river, a gentle voice and with a word that builds and destroys. For you bring down false empires and build the true city. No one can touch you but you touch whom you please and they are not destroyed.
Supplication: O’Lord help us to lift our drooping hands. Strengthen our weak knees. Help us to walk straight paths with feet you have healed. Help us strive for peace and holiness, without which, we not will see you.
May we obtain your perfect grace where no bitterness remains. May we be morally attractive and a delight to you. For salvation, glory and power belong to you O’God and your judgments are true and just.
Through our Lord and savior Jesus Christ we pray, amen. †
11-21-2021 #151—Sermon Passage, Hebrews 13:1-19
Adoration: O’Lord God of Heaven, Maker of earth, giver, and sustainer of life, you have loved us as sons and daughters from before the foundations of the world. You have given us brothers and sisters, together, as one people—all approved by you for your glory.
Though we were as strangers and wonderers, you O’Lord have brought us warmly to your home. You have shown us mercy and grace and have set us at your table—in the presence of angles.
Magnificent are your ways and wonderful are the laws you have written upon our hearts; indeed, it is true love to do your will. To do as you say with joy, is to speak the language of love. For you have engraved our names—on the palms of your hands.
Long before our souls lived or stirred in the body, you knew us as though we were already. And as in time we appeared, you cared to watch over us—through all our striving and woes. Even now, you are faithfully moving us to—where-and-what—we shall be.
So, we cannot help but trust you O’Lord. You have told us that you will never leave nor forsake us, and this we believe. You are our true-helper, so we shall fear nothing and no one.
Though the world may ply its worst against us, we will not fear, for you O’Lord, are the same yesterday, today and forever. You are our strength, our song—and our salvation.
For our great blessing, you suffered through blood and shame O’Lord. So, we shall not fail to come to you by any or very similar means. For we are no more at home here. This place and life do not last—but all that you provide—and have done for us—does.
Confession: So, we confess gladly in our songs of praise for salvation, that you are our God and we are your people. We confess that we are fully nourished by the fruit of the truth. For it is there in what you have done within-us and all about—and in what is yet to follow.
Thanksgiving: Thank you for every servant you have chosen to lead us; who spoke your word to us and watched over us—your family of souls. Thank you, that we may consider their lives, through faith in Christ, as lives to emulate.
Thank you for strengthening our hearts by grace that we might know authentic devotion and steadfast resolve. Thank you for a clear conscience and the desire to act and live honorably regarding all things.
Thank you, Lord-God, for your love is unwavering and endures forever. Out of our distress we have called upon you and you have answered. With you as our helper and there at our side, who can prevail against us? For we trust in awe of you and not in man.
Supplication: We pray, that you always remind us of those in prison for your sake; and of those who are mistreated and discouraged, for we are present with them in Christ. Help us also to desire only what you have provided, so that wealth is never our passion, friend, or comforter.
May we honor our marriages, remaining devoted, as you are to us. May we be morally pure as you are pure and may truth and high-honor permeate and surround our thoughts and deeds. May we reject all unreliable and odd teachings; for they are wedges-that-divide. May the Lord himself be our path, for he always tells us the truth—and gives life everlasting to everyone who trust in him. We ask all things in his name, amen. †
11-28-2021 #152—Sermon Passage, Hebrews 13:1-19
Adoration: O’God our creator and savior, you are holy; you have loved us and made us your own. You are eternally true and your love is upon those who know you. In you, we have found rest from our labors. You have made our burdens lighter and easier to bear. The works you give us to do, are works of joy.
You are gentle and patient with us. From the humbleness of your heart, you have taught us all that is needed. You have brought us into your courts above, where there is life, safety, and comfort; our souls are at ease.
Great things you have done for us O’Lord. You have filled our hearts with laughter, for we have seen your glory. That we love one another and continue in love, reflects your love for us. That we welcome strangers, keep the beloved in mind, and suffer with them, are all good things, and we desire all that is good.
Everything you require O’ Lord is good—to honor marriage with purity, to be trustworthy, to be unattached to useless desires and content with what you have provided. For we know that loving grace and mercy strengthens and reshapes our hearts. So too, we know your judgments are perfectly righteous.
We are confident in you O’God. You are behind us, before us and within us, our helper, and our strength. No one can stop or change what you have done. We fear nothing, for our reverence is yours alone. And whomever speaks your word truthfully, we shall follow. For if true to you, their lives will also prove true.
Because you are the Lord and do not change, we will recognize deceivers and frauds by their useless pursuits.
Confession: Our confession of faith O’God, is before you in our lives. We live as we believe. We are either of this world or here from outside its gates, sojourners in the valley of shadows. Yet we confess, that we sometimes struggle to discern where we are.
Our place here—and our life there—sometimes gets blurred and we lapse in our distinctions. Deception weaved together with truth is a dark and weary deceit. Yet, O’God of truth, you always bring our hearts back into focus and we remember who you are, all you have said and all you have done.
Thanksgiving: Thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such is your gracious will.
And we know that: All things have been handed over to the Son from the Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. For this, and all else, we are truly thankful.
Supplication: We pray O’Great God, help us to bear the same reproach Christ bore from the world; for we are in him and he in us. May our acknowledgment of his name prove as a sacrifice of praise; and may it be to you—a sweet aroma.
Help our resolve to obey you and those who watch over our souls. May you see joy in our meekness and in the harmony of our calling. Restore us daily with clear conscience, for you are the God of peace, of our great shepherd and eternal covenant.
Equip us we pray, to do your will and the work that is pleasing in your sight. Through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ we pray, amen. †
12-12-2021 #153—Sermon Theme: “God as our Shepherd"
Adoration: Lord God—Creator and Shepherd of Heaven and earth; Sovereign over all you survey. You—O’Lord, have ushered your flock into captivity, freedom and exile. You have gone before us in the wilderness and out into green pastures.
You have watched over us through our troubles and our woes. The toils you have arranged for us, are always for our good, to secure virtues, a future—and the praise of your glory.
Our admiration is ever before you. Our souls have heard the beauty of your voice, soothing and familiar; and so, we rise and follow where you lead. By your rod and staff, you protect us. You wheeled them exquisitely to decimate our ravenous enemy.
We have seen him fall like lightening from heaven. You have ruined his plans and scattered his flock. Your vengeance rages against them all, as your wrath quickly approaches.
Your judgments are terrifying. It is a great comfort—to stand behind you; as heretofore we stood in affront. Your power is stirred up and you save your people. You restore us and shine your face upon us.
And though a valley of shadows and the stench of death surround us, you have calmed our fears with a sweet fragrance, and anointed our souls with hope. And this, not of our own accord—but of that which only you afford, for you have made us righteous, dwelt within us, and restored us. Your goodness and mercy enfold our souls. We want nothing more.
For you who are enthroned above the cherubim, shine forth! Your power and might radiate throughout the universe and you make your little ones greater than the stars of heaven.
You are our God; our Father, our Shepherd, and our Comforter. Your ways are firmly set and your heart is gentle toward us. You search for us and you find us. You drive us and guide us. You steer and direct our ways with counsel and wisdom. You take us through danger, rescue us out of the thick, fight for us, and strengthen us in our weariness.
You lead us home amid the mayhem and burning fires. So, whom shall we fear?
Confession: When we sin and confess to you our sins, you are faithful to forgive us and restore us. For we know you delight in truth in our inward being where in our secret heart, you have taught us wisdom.
So, though we have sinned and sin yet, you restore to us the joy of your salvation and uphold us with your willing spirit.
Thanksgiving: Our gratitude is beyond our words, yet O’Lord, with our mouths we declare your praise. So too, may you delight in the thankfulness of our hearts, in the songs sung from out of the depths.
Supplication: Lord we pray, as you bless us and keep us close beside you; that your face will shine upon us and that you will lift-up your countenance to us. Give to us grace, mercy and peace in our Lord Jesus Christ, now and forever, amen. †
12-19-2021 #154—Sermon Passage, Luke 1:26-56
Adoration: Lord God, nothing is impossible for you. The magnificence of our dreams—were not magnificent enough. Our imaginations were too dull and our hearts too inward. Our understanding suffered from our own foolishness.
Yet in marvelous grace, you have sent your heralds to declare astounding truths—your promises from the time of the fall. Having seen only threads intertwined, you bring now the tapestry into view. All the weaving—now a beautiful cover upon us.
O’God, you have not desired sacrifices. In sin offerings, you have taken no pleasure. But behold, there is One who came to do your will, O’God, as it is written of him in the scroll of the book. In the fullness of time, out of the house of David, by the body and soul of a virgin so approved: the birth of the Promise is given.
And, blessed is she among women, and blessed is the fruit of her womb! For from her, by her Creator and Spirit most high, a son is born, Jesus the Savior of his people—Emmanuel-God with us, Messiah, Lamb of God, Light of the world, Lord of lord’s, King of kings, Man of sorrows, Mighty God, Prince of peace, the Resurrection, and the Life. Of his kingdom, there will be no end.
So, with sweet Mary we sing: “May our souls magnify the Lord and our spirits rejoice in God our savior.” He employs his servants in the best possible ways. He has made the mystery of his will a blessing; for he is holy and mighty and does great things for his chosen ones.
Through the halls of time, he makes them into a nation. From generation to generation, he has mercy on all—who in awe and truth esteem him.
He is the almighty who displays his strength, his strong love, and his holiness. He changes the nature and alignment of souls, yet scatters the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He lifts-up the humble, yet brings down the mighty from their thrones.
He fills the hungry with good things. But those who believe themselves rich—have no needs; so, he sends them away empty. In his mercy and kindness, he helps his servants and he deals with the world through them. They are all his offspring forever and they rejoice in the house of God. All things belong to him.
Confession: Thus is our confession, that we are yours and you are ours. So, use us O’Lord as you desire, as your perfect will determines. We confess to you now, that where you send us, there we shall be. What you give to us, that we shall desire.
The Joy you send to us, we shall enjoy. What sorrows may come, those we shall endure. For though our sins are many, you have dealt with them all—and all that will follow.
Thanksgiving: Glory and thankfulness to you O’God. All circumstances are in your hands and we give thanks always. We will be watchful in our thanksgiving, for your touch of grace is everywhere. Our hearts are full of gratitude.
Supplication: May we continue steadfastly in prayer. May our lives be a beacon of your love and truth to the world. Use us O’Lord to bring glory to yourself and to you free the captive heart.
Sing to the lost through the songs of our souls and cause the world to know and honor you. We pray with confidence in your grace and mercy. May your glory in Christ forever ruin the darkness, amen. †
12-26-2021 #155—Sermon Passage, Psalm 29 “Glory to God alone”
Adoration: To you alone O’God, be Glory and Honor and Praise. Because you are worthy, you have created us to know you, to enjoy you and to glorify you forever. Our Love of you and our admiration for you, is authentic—for you are trustworthy, the source of all that is beautiful.
And in your home of beauty and splendor, we have found our rest. In resplendent glory, you have formed us to worship you, and to proclaim your praises to all of creation.
As with our forefathers in faith, you have called us by name, and redeemed us for yourself. Out of the body and soul of the house of Adam, you have adopted the children of promise, whom you have loved and watched over. From before they sprang forth, you are with them, the chosen in Christ—your beloved now and forever.
The seas, rivers, fires, and flames shall not swallow them or burn them to ash. What overwhelms the armies of the world, will not overcome those who stand with you; whose wrath against them has been spent.
For your voice O’God is over the waters, the splendor of your holiness burns hotter than any fire. It flashes forth with frightening fury, yet soothes and comforts your little ones; those who are precious in your eyes, whom you love and honor; for whom Christ has given his all.
For you are the Lord-God, the Holy One and Savior of all who struggle with you, a people, chosen for a purpose. So, whom shall we fear? For you are powerful and your thunder fills the universe with majesty; you bring all resistance to naught.
You shake the wilderness, strip away the bindings and give birth to all that lives. For you are the living King, enthroned forever. You gather your beloved from the east and the west. You say to the north, “give them up;” to the south you say, “do not withhold them—bring forth my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth.
Bring everyone who is called by my name, whom I formed and created for my glory. You are my witnesses,” declares the LORD, “and my servants whom I have chosen, that you may know, believe, and understand, that I am He. Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me. I, I alone am the LORD, and besides me there is no savior.
Confession: So, out of our reliance upon you O’God, hear our confessions of belief and offense; for you see both more clearly than we.
May you delight in the first and have mercy in the second. For we are not what we were, nor yet, what we shall be.
Thanksgiving: Hear our thankful hearts O’God, as we rejoice and pray without ceasing. We thank you in Christ Jesus through all circumstances, and for the strength and peace you afford us.
Supplication: We pray now in earnest: Govern our hearts and hedge us in, for you know that we are wonderers. Help us to test everything and hold fast to the good. Help us to abstain from every evil, for you are the Father-of-lights and all-that-is-good.
O’LORD—Most Holy God, Lover of souls, Judge—Creator—Destroyer and Restorer, watch over your people and be glorified. The riches and glory of your mystery in Christ are upon your beloved.
We pray that every tongue would confess Jesus Christ as Lord, to the glory of God-the-Father on high, amen. †
Adoration: Mighty God, our creator and sustainer; the hearts you have renewed, gifted with faith, and sanctified in Christ, are yours evermore.
We will not let them be troubled; we will not turn away and we will not look for another. For the belief you have caused in us, finds all that is fashioned by it.
In depth of praise of immutable love, we bow in adoration and awe. Though heaven and the world with all its desires shall pass away, the truth living in us will forever be. It shall stand evermore, as you have determined.
Our Lord prepares a home for our bodies and our souls; and shall return to gather us there. We desire the journey's end for we know where we are going. In your home O’God, we are home. There we shall flourish for there you are, our assurance and joy complete.
For you O’Lord are the Way, the Truth and the Life. Through you alone the Father of lights shines upon us; and to the core encircles us in truth, beauty and goodness… we are yours and you are ours. In you O’Lord we have seen the Father and know him.
His holy decrees are proven in you. With all authority he does what he wills even as our pleas desire it. You O’Lord give us all that we need and have shown us the Father.
We see now more clearly how you glorify him and he you; and the Holy Spirit our helper glorifying both.
Beyond our grasp he indwells us, yet we hold it as precious and true. The world neither sees or knows the Spirit of Truth and cannot receive him; for he is not theirs.
Confession: O’Lord, we confess that we long to make your every command our offering of love; to love you as we should for you are worthy. Yet we are weak and easily distracted.
So, we confess in sorrow that we have not fully kept your gracious rule in either proof of love or fear of wrath.
We confess our sins against you and against others, even those you love. And still, you have not left us as orphans but like travelers in the night, have brought us in to lodge with you.
Though we stumble and fall, you have asked the Father and he has granted us the Spirit of life, in whom we know repentance, for he reminds us daily and in same accord, forgiveness, kindness and restoration.
Thanksgiving: May our gratitude be forever a blessing to you; our thanks, a garland for your head. May our appreciation be proven by our actions and our desire to follow you at every turn and in every moment.
For we are not a people who have to wonder what love is or who we should thank. We know whom it is that we serve. It is not man, nor the stars nor an unknown God; but the one true, living—holy God. Because He lives, we also shall live.
Supplication: So, now we ask all things in Christ in whom we dwell. The Father’s will is not secret but is in everything the Son has provided.
Help us in our feeble attempts Lord, to keep the words of the Father. May the Spirit teach us all things and remind us of all that you have said.
We ask this by our assurance in Christ, amen. †
01/17/2021 #126—Sermon Passage, Acts 28: 17-31
Adoration: Most holy God, our shield and strength, High Priest, True Vine and Eternal Spirit: You have kindled a fire and welcomed us in—out of the cold-dark-rains. What misfortunes will accost us now, that cannot be shaken-off?
You O’God, have honored us exceedingly. Your love has opened the hearts of our souls and the intellect of our minds. Our eyes see now what was hidden and your words ring steadily in our thoughts.
What was once just noise to dispassionate ears and nonsense to dormant souls, is now a beautiful melody of flawless reasoning. We have heard your voice and have seen your countenance. We know now who you are.
While we are not privy to your secret designs, we do not need holy insight but holy faith. So, where you lead, we will follow…
For you O’ mighty God, are great and holy—true and righteous. You create and destroy both the seen and unseen. Nothing exists or has power over the world which you have not sustained. Whether to function in providence with obvious accord—or by riddle and curious interlude—evade our grasp, you and you alone know.
Even though sifted by unjust arbiters, accused of crimes against their ignorance; and delivered as prisoners to the floor, there in that place, we shall expound and testify to the truth.
And in so doing, convince some and condemn others. It is good that some hear to their repentance and others to their ruin. For they are dull with hate and refuse to believe. They hear only the crassness of their own laughter and see only the lusts of their own hearts. The salvation of God will not be theirs.
Confession: In our sorrow we confess to you our sins and trespasses. We know we have covered them up and bargained with you as though we had the power to appease your wrath.
You know our sins better than we can imagine. Yet may they always become clear to us in process from mind to heart to deed. For we are yet prone to pursue both comfort or safety at the expense of others.
We are distracted by transitory things rather than attentive to the eternal vision. You open our eyes and ears and we are healed. You take away our sins at repentance and our ongoing transgressions of life.
Thanksgiving: We thank you O’God. Your love redeems us moment by moment and forever. Though the world is in all ways fallen, we will take courage in the center of discord and tyranny.
You cause our minds to perceive the realities before us and though our hearts melt, you restore us. Our gratefulness as one portion of love shall be with us and to your glory always.
Supplication: So, we ask you Lord: Help us always to hear and understand correctly what you say—and to do as you direct. Help us to see and perceive your way at every turn as our own. With fully formed hearts and sharpened minds, remove the dullness we often suffer.
Give us assurance of our salvation daily, that we may proclaim without hinderance your kingdom and teach the truth of Jesus Christ with boldness.
These things we pray and desire in earnest, amen. †
01/24/2021 #127—Passage, Luke 18:15-17 “Sanctity of Life”
Adoration: Father God, your name is sacred. Your Kingdom was—is—and shall forever be. You do all that you decree. Your every desire is perfectly good and discerning. You permit what you hate, yet will vanquish both the heavens and the earth at final verdict.
In love, you crafted man from the dust of the ground. In the forming dust you placed a soul—and inward there—your very likeness. An image of inconceivable wealth, beauty, and splendor. Though once fit and true vessels, we sought out weak and inadequate visions; yet, you did not abandon the ewers.
You gave to us a portion, to have a knowledge of purpose and of your magnificence. Whether to reflect you in glory of praise or to create mocking tributes to ourselves, we have the visage of your gift, which cannot be denied.
When we fall, does not the ground open its mouth to receive the body you have formed? You have even given our blood a voice that cries out from the there. And when we kill do you not ask, “What have you done? Where is your brother? Where are the little ones?” Why have you risen against innocence —against me?
Do not you know that life is more than food and the body more than clothing. Against God and his image are the mortal sins of man; he worships the false god, fashions a savior that cannot save, misuses my name, forgets I am holy, dishonors mother and father, murders with joy, adulterates himself, steals, lies, and craves what is not his.
Do not behave in these ways toward the Lord your God; for this is what the enemy does. Every repulsive act which the Lord hates, they have done for their gods; for they even burn their sons and daughters in fires to their gods.
Confession: Lord, forgive us our sins. Because you formed our souls you know our hearts. Our number of our days have been determined. You have set the limits for each one of us.
What sin we have done and the goodness we have failed to do, stand together—one and the same. Yet in grace and mercy you forgive even our slightest offence as much as those we most regret.
Thanksgiving: Father, thank you for your kindness to us. Even before we were conceived, you consecrated us; you appointed us to receive forgiveness and the Holy One within. We have never been unknown to you.
With sacred compassion, you watch over us and those who perish in the secret place. For it is you who fashion us all from the womb; you who skillfully wrought us in the depths of the earth. Our framework is never hidden from you.
We give you all thankfulness. You have fearfully and wonderfully made us; our souls know it very well. All your works are wonderful.
Supplication: So, we pray, teach us in our waking and in our dreams to return to innocence; to see the world with you at the forefront.
Help us to not cower from the rhetoric of fools but with courage to say: Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.
He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Blessed be the Lord our God, amen. †
01/31/2021 #128—Sermon Passage, Isaiah 33:14-15
Adoration: O’Father, out from the depths of wisdom you form the fulness of time, moment-by-moment. You move from in and out of the weave with beauty and resolve.
In perfect certainty, day follows night and night—day. The sun, moon and stars give their light—and the rain waters the fields of both the wicked and the righteous. It is indeed a ponderous thing.
If the godless wonder at all about their lives, they will not wonder long, for you will appear soon at their ruin. Being too far off, no one shall help them.
But the Lord, merciful-and-gracious, shelters his people forever. When they’re immoral, they are confronted from within. It becomes a stench all too familiar; a reminder of what they turned from. For they are not to be as the rest, but to be in full portion—pure, holy and righteous…to see God sitting upon his throne, high and lifted up. With the whole earth full of his glory.
For he is a consuming fire, from everlasting to everlasting, the Lord of hosts—holy, holy, holy is the Lord God almighty. The very foundations of heaven and earth shake at his voice. He calls out and smoke—fire—lightning and thunder fill creation…every dark corner is exposed.
All who have seen the King—the Lord of hosts; fall-down in woe. We who love God, know that our lips are unclean and that we dwell amid a people of unclean lips. Yet you O’God touch our mouths with fiery coals, the Lord has atoned for our sins and our guilt has been removed.
Confession: We confess to you our sins and struggles; our pursuit of holiness is not lost in our weakness. For you O’Lord are our strength and our perfection. We are transformed by the power of your grace. Your forge and anvil give shape to our pledge.
We shall arise and shine; for your light has come and your glory has risen upon us. You are the Light of revelation to us, and the glory of your people Israel—sharing in the nourishing root.
Thanksgiving: In gracious mystery, you embrace those you have known from the start. Our hearts are overwhelmed with gratitude.
Thank you for the gift of faith we exercise freely, for the path we follow carefully. It is not a trust out of duty but out of love. Our grateful hearts find contentment in you alone; for you have accomplished everything we could not.
Supplication: Lord, help us to share in all that you delight in, and in all that grieves you too. Teach us to reject the violent words, thoughts, and deeds of the godless. We will not approve of their perversities or of what they say is good, when it is clearly evil. We will not accept perversions as though they were not, nor look upon what greaves you—as though it were normal.
Cause us to see as does the Spirit who indwells our souls. Help us O’God of our salvation; for you Lord-God are as the sun and shield. You give grace and mercy and withhold no good thing from those who walk with you honorably.
Guide us with your counsel we pray, and after all is done, receive us into your glory forever, amen. †
02/14/2021 #129—Sermon Passage, Hebrews 1:1-3
Adoration: Father God Almighty, from the time of the fall—on, you gave types-and-kinds, and words to prophets. You gave dreams to dreamers and whispered to weary hearts. The minds of the faithful searched the heavens for signs and answers.
With great care, you shaped the years into their fullness; and when the time came, you spoke the Final Perfect Word: “Jesus Christ.”
And the Word, that was with you in the beginning—speaking creation—beauty—truth and goodness, became the life and light of men. The true light, which gives light to everyone has shown into the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.
So, make straight the way of the lord. For all things were made through him and for him. The world does not know him but those for whom he came, know him. And all who receive him, who believe in his name, have become the very children of God, born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor man, but of God himself.
And he has given birth to his promise, to dwell in the flesh among us. We have seen his glory and his radiance—as the only son from the father, full of grace and truth. Out of his steadfast love we have received grace upon grace.
Out of his fulness, we have received mercy and assurance; and though no one has ever seen God, the only God, who is at the father’s side, he has made him known to us by his exact likeness.
From there upon the throne, by his power and majesty, he sustains all that he has made. As both lion and lamb he has satisfied the Father’s wrath and made purification for the sins of his people.
Confession: Hear now O’Lord, both our confession of faith and our confession of sin. You alone know the sincerity of our hearts. Each sin differs but none go unnoticed. Our conscience convicts us, for you indwell us. For if we keep silent, our bones will waste away through the groaning and unrest of our souls.
We confess that our resolve is weak, our lives are awkward and our remedies inadequate. Though we love all that is upright we are seldom able to be noble for long. But you, our Prophet, Priest, and King—are noble.
You have forgiven us our sins and yet forgive our sins; for we confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. With sufficient knowledge, confidence, and whole heart, we know that God raised him from the dead and as such—we are saved.
Thanksgiving: Our gratitude is indescribable; for the peace of Christ rules over our hearts. Thank you for calling us into one body and one dwelling.
Thank you that we may teach and caution one another in all wisdom, and in harmony, singing back to you your very words in everlasting thankfulness.
Supplication: Father, help us each moment we breath to draw near to you, even as you draw near to us.
As we seek you first, cleanse our hands and purify your hearts. Guard us from the double-mindedness of this age. Work in us the very disposition you approve of.
Help us to not be anxious about anything, but in everything, through prayer and supplication, make known to you our requests.
We ask that our desires be identical to yours; and that your peace, which surpasses all understanding, will forevermore guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, amen. †
02/21/2021 #130—Sermon Passage, Hebrews 1:4-7
Adoration: O’Lord God, how excellent is your name in all of creation. Before the hosts of heaven and all of mankind, the Father sings your praises. All authority is folded into you and your majesty is proven before us. Superior in every way, humble and true, all of God’s angles are astounded and moved to worship the Son.
So, bless the Lord all you souls who bless, for his thrown is forever—the Father’s wrath is pleased.
For this is he who clothes himself with splendor and majesty. Like a garment, he wraps himself in light. He stretched out the heavens like a tent and laid the beams of his chambers upon the waters. The clouds are his chariot and he rides upon the wings of the wind; for his messengers are the winds and his ministers—the flames of fire.
Who is like God? There is none. You O’Lord sit upon the thrown eternal, holding the scepter of righteousness. It is you who set the earth on its foundations. Like a garment, you covered it with the deep fathoms.
When the waters stood above the mountains, you rebuked them and they fled; at the sound of your thunder, they took to flight. The mountains rose, the valleys sank down to the place that you appointed. You set the boundaries for the waters that they cannot not pass ever again to cover the earth.
It is you who made the moon to mark the seasons and the sun to rise and set at your command. You made the beasts of the field and Man in your image that he should love God, love others and rule over your works.
You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness. O’Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom have you made it all. And though it will certainly wear out and perish, you remain forever; for you are the same always—your years have no end.
When you hide your face, all living things are dismayed. When you take away their breath, they die and return to dust. Yet when you send forth your Spirit, they who have inherited salvation, are restored.
Confession: Our confession is that we know the truth, yet have not made it our garment. We act wise but don’t often understand…
We have sought after answers to the riddles which torment us, but our struggles laugh—heartily and increase. For if we forget or ignore your promises, we accept them as deep and unsolvable mysteries.
But you O’Lord, if we would but daily believe, are our refuge and our redeemer. You are our place of safety. In you, every riddle is solved, for you are God, our God in whom we trust.
You rescue us from every trap and protect our soul’s day and night. You cover and shelter us. Your faithful promises are the armor which protects us.
Thanksgiving: No words are sufficient for gratitude? Yet, moment by moment, we thank and praise you. You know in the depth of our being whether it is true or only false murmurings.
If we do what you say, out of love for you, we are speaking the truth in love, our gratitude is clear. So, we are thankful from the core—out, that you are our God.
Thank you for loving us first, so we may give—reflect—return and restore love in similar ways. Because you forgave, we now forgive. Because you died, we now live. Truly we are restless—if we search for rest outside of you.
Supplication: So, Lord-Christ, we pray now, be our all in all. Help us to keep your name—which is above every name, in our minds and on our lips. For you are the Father’s Final Word—spoken into a fallen world. May we speak You to those who will hear and understand your language.
May we sing to you as long as we live and praise you while we yet have our being. May our meditations and rejoicings please you. May our souls bless you by everything we embrace; and so, the thoughts of our hearts and the words from our mouths.
May your glory endure forever; as you rejoice in the works of your hands. For your sake O’Lord and your glory above all things, we pray, amen. †
02/28/2021 #131—Sermon Passage, Hebrews 1:8-14
Adoration: O’Father, you have shown us your countenance in your most holy Son. The Light has become flesh—purity dwelling in the house of corruption—the deep, wading through the shallows. He is anointed with sorrow and gladness—which spills over onto his own. He is that he is— forever.
And by his word of power, he upholds the universe he has made, and moreover, the bitter souls turned sweet. All things are under his gaze, nothing is hidden from him in the shoals or fractures of the world. You O’Lord are Life among the withering grass and the fading flowers with whom you have walked, loved and chosen.
For we have seen your radiance, the warmth that touches the winter vales and hills—to bring forth your right of inheritance, full of truth, beauty and goodness.
From the right hand of Majesty O’Lord, you rule over the great and the small, the visible and invisible—and the destinies of all creatures.
They are all under your scepter of righteousness, mercy or censure; —many to eternal rewards, yet others, by their own aversions—to everlasting judgment.
So, let all of God's creatures worship the Son. For the nations and the ends of the earth are his possession. He breaks them with his staff. He shatters them to pieces like useless pottery.
Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled.
Blessed are all those who take refuge in him.
Confession: In sorrow O’Lord, we confess our sins, for we have seen their horrid outcome; yet in gladness we confess our love and trust in you. For it is by means of what you have given to us and sustained within us, that we can rejoice to confess.
Truly, it is with the heart that one believes and is justified, and with the mouth that one confesses and is saved.
You O’God have closed our wounds and opened our minds. Our eyes and ears are focused upon your glory—and our souls are freed from this place of death. Nevermore shall we return to receive the wages of sin.
Thanksgiving: Thank you Father, that when we acknowledged our sins and did not cover our iniquity and transgressions you forgave all such wickedness.
Only now from the height to which you have brought them, so grateful are the souls who have seen where they were. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus alone.
Supplication: So, we pray Lord, help us to draw near to you as you shall to us. Cleanse our minds and purify our hearts. Stand at the forefront in our good fight of faith.
Help us to be dedicated to you in the life to which you have called us and about which we have made a good confession in the presence of many. Help us to weigh every thought that guides us to action.
Help us to hold our tongues when silence speaks more clearly, yet in wisdom to boldly proclaim all that pleases you. We ask all things, endure all things and hope all things in Christ our Lord—amen. †
03/14/2021 #132—Sermon Passage, Hebrews 2
Adoration: Lord God our King, in various ways from the beginning, you have told us who you are, what we are to do and how the world is to be. You have stated the truth about all things clearly and have held to a steady course.
You have shepherd your people with grace, mercy and justice. Both in blessings enjoyed—and in curses suffered—your every word has proven reliable. Both mercy and reckoning flow-out from your righteous scepter.
We shall therefore, hold fast to all we have heard and seen. As you sustain us, we will not drift away or neglect this great redemption. For there is no escape for those who pronounce themselves just.
The fires of their own passions consume them. But you O'God, first declared this wonderous salvation—and all your chosen have attested to it. By miracles, signs, wonders, and gifts of the Spirit, you have borne witness according to your will.
You O'Father, have been mindful of man and so the Son of man, nurturing us moment-by-moment, surveying our thoughts, and understanding our hearts. Through dark of night and light of day you have cared for him and crowned him with glory and honor; and subjected everything to his stewardship and rule.
And so, only the Son of man, the Lord and founder of our salvation, can make propitiation through his own humiliation, suffering and the taste of death for all. Then rising—proving that all creation is subject to his sway; and in so doing, bringing many sons to glory. We are perfected and made holy through his blood. We are his and he is ours.
Confession: So, our confession is straightforward. It is heard in our praises and seen in our ways; our behaviors reveal our hearts. We trust solely in him who has walked these same streets of flesh and blood.
He is our only Priest who never falters to do what is right and pure before God, on our behalf. We are the offspring of Abraham in spirit—the children God has given him. So, we do not look to Angles or fellow creatures for salvation.
Thanksgiving: Our gratitude O'Lord is eternal; for you have destroyed the power of death that the Evil-One enjoyed—yet no more will he regale in his delusion. No more will his schemes and diversions confound us.
Though we suffer temptations, we thank you for being our perfect helper, and for proving to be so much better than the lures of false joy.
Supplication: So, as our great Prophet, Priest, and King we are not afraid to ask you for all things. And these things we pray: that our hearts would be true and our word to others—our bond; that we would not wade into sin but cross through on dry land; and that we would have right perspectives, so as to see clearly the wheat from the weeds—the lies amongst the truth.
Give us discernment O’Lord, so that your reasoning, is ours and ours is not the world's. For you are God alone, for whom and by whom all things exist. You have brought your children to glory and made them perfect through suffering, and you are not ashamed to call us brothers.
For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified, are all of one source. We make these petitions for your glory, through our salvation in Christ, amen. †
03/21/2021 #133—Sermon Passage, Hebrews 3:1-6
Adoration: Lord of creation—our Savior and God, you have called us to rise out of the bondage of death—our souls to be dull no more—our minds be restored and our hearts to cease their downward spiral. You have adorned us with holiness and freed us from the mire and bleakness of sin.
Because you were faithful, we have heard your testimony, seen your mighty works, and shared in a heavenly calling which you have herald. For you are our advocate and high priest, God's messenger, and final Word. So, we have pondered you and pondered over you in every way. We have seen you by the scriptures. In every sign, and good proof you have given—there you are.
Though lowly by their own appraisal and faithful to their charge, we esteem those who came before you; for they spoke of you and pointed forward. They knew they lived and labored in the house that you had built. They were honorable, but you O'God, O'Son of God, are greater and more glorious than all.
For God is the only builder and the Son watches over the house of his inheritance. And the children given to him by the Father— are those who hold fast to courage, trust, and hope—to which, they boldly make claim.
For you have said to everyone who confesses you before men, you also shall confess them before the angels of God.
Confession: In this vein, we confess our sins to you; those done in the storms and recklessness of life; and those we have failed to recognize until later in the calm.
Though sins all the same, may our negligent offenses never flow out of arrogance but only from oversight of zealous passions.
Nevertheless, all sin damages the workmanship of your hands and fouls the vessels' you have cleansed. That you have accounted for such wickedness in one perfect-eternal-resolve, must lend pause to our every thought, the words of our mouths and actions that might naturally follow.
Thanksgiving: In giving thanks continually, which our hearts know full well, we shall strive to see sin as it begins and give it no further purchase. Only true gratitude will process our courage and give prudence to our fight.
Thank you O'God for you are the source of our gratitude and founder of our souls.
Supplication: So, what more shall we require than the life you have restored. Yet we know we are feeble. So, we ask O’mighty God that you go ahead of and behind us. Make our hearts and intellect to know your simple and perfect will.
May what salvation has formed and perseveres to form still, bring you even greater delight, if that were possible. Help and cause us to hold onto the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope to the very end. Receive us then into you glory in Christ, amen. †
03/28/2021 #134—Sermon Passage, 1 Samuel 17:41-51
Adoration: O'Lord God, creator of heaven and earth—of stone, flesh and spirit. Many are they that stand in defiance against you; and so too—those whom you love. But you assure your own, saying: "Be strong and courageous; do not fear or be discouraged, for I am the Lord your God who goes with you; and shall never forsake or leave you."
O'Lord, you never dismay or abandon your people; there is none like you, we know that full well. For you are boundless and your name is greatly to be praised in all the earth.
You are to be feared above all gods, for they are but wood, rubble and dust. They are only creatures who deploy their throngs for evil. They are gods of nothing—and like rabid dogs, to be beaten off with a stick.
In delusion, the father-of-lies gathers-up his abhorrent armies. So, the chosen of God draw-up to the line of battle—a valley between them. And as the repugnant hoards stand in the mire—they holler out threats and pomposities with loud and loathsome voices—to cause dissuasion, fear and uncertainty—for that is all they have.
The armies of Living God laugh at their coercions and ask: "Who are these ignorant buffoons that defy the LORD our God? He is the light of our salvation, so whom shall we fear? The LORD is our stronghold and source, so of whom shall we be afraid?"
Your greatness O'Lord, is proven in your power and majesty over all domains. In glorious victory you exalt yourself as head over all. Indeed, everything that in heaven and earth owes its subsistence to you. For you are the triumphant King. You sustain all things, even those which you bring to ruin and utter destruction.
Confession: So, it is with contrite hearts that we confess our every sin, and so too, Christ our redeemer. We confess that you are our God, the only true God—for there is no other.
We confess you Father—Son and Holy Spirt from whom all blessings flow; the purveyor of mercy and justice, changer of hearts, minds, and lives.
Thanksgiving: Thank you Father; for such great a love you have bestowed upon us, that we could be called children of God; and such we are. The world does not know the Savior, so neither does it know us.
He has done great things for us and redeemed us from the ranks of the condemned. How thankful we are that we do not have the spirit of fear, for the Spirit which God gave to us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love, and self-discipline.
Supplication: So, Father we pray, help us to be always on guard, and as such—impossible to deceive. Help us to stand firm in our trust of you, to be courageous and strong, taking heart as we wait for the LORD. Help us to trust in you with all our heart and mind, so that we cannot lean on our own understanding.
May we submit all things to you, for you have made our paths straight, our thinking sound and our desires true. May we in turn, obey your will quietly and adjust ourselves to every circumstance of daily life. For you can do far more and abundantly beyond all that we ask or think. According to the power you work within us, may your will be done.
Blessed be you O’God, Father of our Lord. Your Spirit affords us such great mercies, the cause of our rebirth into a living hope in the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
Guide us always through this life. Hold us dearly in Christ we pray, amen. †
04/11/2021 #135—Sermon Passage, Hebrews 3:7-19
Adoration: Our Father in heaven, how wonderful is your name. Great are your deeds and perfect are your decrees. You have made and chosen your children. You have loved them, not for their works but from the mysterious chambers of your being— where love, grace and mercy reside.
Though many among them benefit and make a clever showing, they cannot maintain their appearance for long. Their unbelieving hearts provoke you and you will show them for who they are.
With hardened hearts, built stone upon stone, they laugh and scoff at the voice of God. Your words O'God are nonsense to them, for they cannot make them out; the condition of their hearts prevents it. They hear what is right but refuse to do it.
The outward evidence of their lives convicts them, for they do not persevere in goodness but in anarchy. And by your righteousness O'God, you swear wrath against them. Why should they enter in to a blessing they have despised? Your place of rest is not their due and your glory is in their judgment.
All people rebel; all go astray—some for only a time and others for eternity. The unashamed will know a sorrowful recompense to the God they deny. Yet those who have heard your voice, whose hardened hearts you have softened, will no more rebel.
They will share in Christ and persevere to the end. Their confidence will hold firm in the heart of saving trust, and their prayers for the disobedient, will go up to God daily.
Confession: So, our confession Lord-God, is the confession of the children of faith whom you have birthed—the depraved become righteous—the lost become saved. Through faith alone—in Christ alone—by grace alone, your little ones O'God, turn to you alone.
We confess that we were rebels, but our rebellion is over, our resistance—overcome by mercy. Though deceived by sin, you have conquered our hearts and minds; renewed our souls and given us the way we should go. We confess you to the world in joy.
Thanksgiving: Our gratefulness is beyond our ability to express, yet we give thanks to you in our hearts, our mouths, and our conduct; for you are good and your love endures forever.
We will tell of your wonderful deeds to all who rebel; for you to save as you will—or condemn as you choose. Either way, we shall give you due thanks for your righteousness, and will sing praises to your name—our Lord most-high and holy. Our souls overflow with thankfulness.
Supplication: We pray O' gracious Lord, that both your mercy and justice shine forth. May you abolish every evil and unbelieving heart that strives to lead astray your flock. Yet, may your gathered be cleansed.
May the dross rise to the surface and removed. Help us trust you just as firmly as when we first believed.
May our roots grow down into you as we build our lives upon you. May our faith grow strong in the truth you have taught us. And may the peace of Christ rule in our hearts, to which we were called to one body—in Christ, amen. †
04/18/2021 #136—Sermon Passage, Hebrews 4:1-13
Adoration: O' Lord, great and mighty, hear our songs of praise—the joyful noise of our hearts. You are the Rock of our salvation, our Lord and great God—King above all.
The perverted who masquerade as gods and their followers, suffer from delusion. For who is like God? In your hand are the depths of the earth and the heights of the mountains. The sea is yours, for you made it, and your hand formed the dry land.
We worship you and bow down. We kneel before you, our maker and sustainer; for you alone are God—our God, and we are the people of you pasture—the sheep of your hand. There is none like you.
The words of our Shepherd draw us to where we go. They are sweet and clear. We hear his voice, lift our heads, and follow. And it is not that such good words are kept from anyone. But the hard-of-heart are hard-of-hearing. What is sweet to us is bitter to them.
They keep themselves and are kept from understanding. They cannot trust and they will not trust. The word of life is gibberish to them. They weigh it as they see it, and find no profit there. So, the Shepherd leaves them where they sit, with their pride and pomposity intact and unbroken.
But the bodies and souls of those united in faith—being trust, gain everything—life, rest, and everlasting joy, just as he has promised. For the Word of our God is living and active. It is a sword sharpened on both sides. It pierces deeply and disjoins both body and soul. It discerns the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
Nothing is hidden from God's sight; everything lies naked and exposed before his eyes, for to him alone we must all give an account. The Lord is slow to anger, and none of us, save one, understand the power of it. His greatness defeats all who rise up against him. The guilty will not go unpunished; his judgment consumes them like chaff.
Confession: So, let us all confess our sins to our great and mighty God; that we may be healed. For If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
We acknowledge our sin to you O'Lord; our iniquities are uncovered; and you have forgiven our every transgression in Christ. By his righteousness we stand; confessing him as Lord, and believing in God who raised him from the dead—our salvation is assured.
Thanksgiving: Therefore, O’Father, Son and Spirit God, we joyfully bless your holy name and give you all thanks. For you are good and your steadfast love endures forever.
Thank you for your faithfulness through the generations. Thank you for being long suffering; your love, goodness, justice, and mercy endure forever.
Supplication: We are blessed now to bring you, our requests. So, in part we pray: Keep us as a people whose hearts do not go astray; for our outward behaviors reveal our inward desires.
Keep us as a people who remember and practice your ways in everything we do. Save those whom you choose while your promise of still stands.
Embolden our trust in you—as a possession of true faith. May our spirits be reverent and in awe before you. Deliver us from the decay of all that surrounds us; for the roots of man are shallow, but never so with you. Keep fresh our acquaintance with our Lord's high sacrifice, for it has swallowed up your wrath, the judgment against us.
May we enter into your very life, and there, be at rest evermore; the work of redemption, complete in Christ—amen. †
05/09/2021 #137—Sermon Passages: 1 Tim. 1:3-5, 2 Tim. 3:14-15 “Mother's Day”
Adoration: O’Lord, blessed are you, the God of our fathers, forever and ever. Yours O Lord, is the greatness, power, and glory of victory evermore. For all that is in heaven and earth is yours, and you are exalted as Master over all your kingdom.
Both riches and honor come from you. In your hand are power and might. You make great and give strength to your advocate. And to your enemies, you give cautions and warnings before judgment.
O’Lord, nothing in the material realm will satisfy our hearts—only the fulfilled eternal order—our desire for you—can quench the fires you have stoked within us.
Though mortal beings formed in the heart of a sensuous earth and way, we are yet, attracted to the eternal and destined for its embrace; one to glory, the other to despair. One to the hearth stone, the other to the shadows.
For we know, that whoever would save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for the sake of Christ, will find it. For what will it profit anyone who gains the whole world: human love— children—possessions, yet losses their soul for these things? Or what shall anyone give in return for their soul?
For the Son of Man will come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what they have done. Having been loved—did they love? Having received mercy and grace—does mercy and grace go forth from them?
Your word upon our hearts O'Lord, informs our souls. So, when we sit in our homes, walk by the way, lie down, and rise again, we shall diligently teach our children all of your ways. They will know that we are yours when they hear and see you—moving through us.
Confession: And yet Lord, we confess our ill-conceived notions and our futile efforts to control a destiny apart from your word. Our desires are often confused but you O'Lord, bring us clarity, joy, solemnness, and perseverance.
We confess what our understanding has not always considered: That no one, but One, can redeem the life of another or give a price for that life; for it is costly to redeem from the grave—to pay for life-everlasting. These precious things are in your hands.
Thanksgiving: O’Lord, our God, we thank you and give praise to your glorious name. We are thankful to serve you, for you chose your servants, the children of forebearers—who in clear conscience bore witness, prayed, and gave thanks.
Day-by-day, with glorious vision of things to come, they exercised the faith you gave to them—and by your mercy bore children enjoined to faith.
Supplication: So, we pray Father, help us remember and ask that the gift of faith go also to our beloved. May our prayers fill your throne room night and day with harmonious tones—that through our tears and longings, we may be filled with joy.
May our holy desires, reflect the faith of our fathers, mothers, and grandmothers through whom our spirits did emerge, to prove that you have shown mercy-and-grace evermore.
Help us now to continue in all we have learned and firmly believed, knowing from whom we learned it, and how from childhood, by those who loved us in you and acquainted us with your hallowed word, have been made us wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
In his glorious and powerful name, we pray, amen. †
05/30/2021 #138—Sermon Passage, Hebrews 5-6:1-12
Adoration: O'Lord our Savior, as God and man, you have loved God and rejoiced in obedience of all that the Father commands. You are at the very heart of the Father. Your laws O'God are as nourishment to our souls and you delight to be our righteousness. In our stead you fulfill everything required of us.
Though some, as recompense for sin or to balance the scales, will perform acts of concession, they cannot appease your wrath. For they are unable do for themselves—what only the Son can do. The great and awful burden is His alone. Only purity and Joy can endure and conquer the despair and corruption of the world.
But still, the reckless priests, like those whom they serve, are wayward, ignorant and spineless. They are disobedient and bathe themselves in every offense toward God. They are weak-willed, faint-hearted, and cowardly.
But never so with the Son. As a man, in obedience through suffering, he was, is and became the pure-spring-of-salvation. His people drink from him for he is life and liberty. All who obey and trust in him—live; for he is the Truth, the Life, and the Way; indeed, the only means to the Father.
Sinless vicar—perfect and final sacrifice; he appeases God's wrath with himself, for others. He is the only entrance to heaven revealed. In heart, mind, soul, and strength his love and reverence for the Father's will is proven by his passions and deeds. His prayerful petitions attest to the truth, that he alone is our high priest and the King of heaven forever.
Many are drawn only to the taste of knowledge and the pleasure of gifts—the good things of God and his glorious power, but they crave only the benefits and not the benefactor.
Their acts of false repentance show their contempt for God's grace and mercy. They drink from the source of Joy even as they embrace the worthlessness of their own desires. They seek the blessings but not him who blesses. God however, delights in right motives which only righteousness affords.
Confession: So, with both fallen and yet rising hearts, in Christ, we can and will confess our daily sins. For as we understand them better, they trouble us more deeply and we despise them more sincerely.
In confession, O'Lord, awaken us daily in greater love for you—that our sins may ever sleep in the dust, never to arise again. We so confess our need and desire, that our sins be restrained now and soon forever subdued.
Thanksgiving: Thank you Father for salvation in Christ—our great high priest and King. Thank you for mercy which through grace and death you grant life everlasting to your own.
Thank you for being long suffering throughout our complacencies—moving us along at various times and in various ways as you mold our misshapen souls. Thank you for the simple doctrines that have taken us into the depths of your word—where there we see you.
Supplication: Keep us now O'Lord from being dull of mind, dull hearing and easily confounded by your revelations. Help us to not evade any spiritual issues or to cut moral corners to take the easy way out.
Help us to be more sympathetic and loving to others; for we are prone to be self-centered and lost in self-pity. For all such things serve only to pull us under and sweep us away.
Teach us to do all things with reverence as we ought. Train us through constant practice to distinguish between good and evil. Help us mature into teachers who carefully consider the heart of each matter; being skilled in the word of righteousness and no longer lacking discernment, like infants unable to speak.
Help us to mature with full assurance of hope until the end, and through faith and patience, to inherit the promise. For the glory and sake of Christ who has perfectly done all that is needed, and in beauty and authority of his name, we pray, amen. †
06/13/2021 #139—Sermon Passage, Hebrews 6:13-20
Adoration: O’Lord our God, no one is greater than you. Your promises are perfectly trustworthy. The moment you speak them—is as though they proved true long ago.
Though you guarantee with an oath, your swearing is upon yourself. Though our faith is weak, your integrity stands strong. You prove over and over that what you say you will do—you do. When you say you will do this or that—it is done.
There is no wavering, no shadow of doubt can shake your pledge or cause you to move off course. Those who wait patiently have nothing to fear; for they possess already—what they cannot see or yet touch, but with us it is not so; even when we speak a perfect vow, our hearts are yet corrupt and we forget what we promised, or have said without strength.
So, while we change, hope weakly and fear greatly, our courage is in you—our unchangeable and true God—who does not lie; and our hope is in Christ—our righteousness King forever.
He is the promise that is set before us; the steadfast anchor of our souls, who sits at the right hand of the Father. In perfect love, power and might, he acts always on our behalf.
As Prophet, Priest and Righteous King forever, he stands before his beloved and beckons: come forth, He fulfills all that we have failed to fulfill and sustains every one of us to the end.
Therefore, let us stop our wondering about what we must do and dispense with all uncertainty, for we are his and he is ours, there is no other.
Confession: Yet, we must confess: it is a lie to say we have mastered our confidence; or that we no longer need reminding. It is a lie to say our trust does not wavier or that we never forget your promise.
So, Lord God, we confess our sins and our irrational weaknesses. We confess our lack of faith—for we know that all things are possible for those who believe; and though we believe, help our unbelief.
Thanksgiving: Thank you for your gracious and merciful treatment of the lost. You provide life for those who fear you and you remember your covenant with them forever.
We give all thanks to you Lord King of righteousness. You have clothed us in holy garments, that we may stand before you unashamed. So, we praise you Lord and give you thanks with our whole heart. For you are majestic in all your ways and we delight in every one—your righteousness endures forever.
Supplication: Now O'Lord, help us to fear no man but to grow in wisdom, righteousness, fear and wonder of our great God. May our praises of you endure forever! May we look upon our circumstances, upon heartache, unrighteousness and evil and know that you are God—your steadfast love endures forever.
Give us now the assurance we have not rallied on our own. For though our souls are earthbound you are heavenly and dwell deep within our being. We ask all things, hope all things, and endure all things in the love of Christ our Savior, amen. †
06/27/2021 #140—Sermon Passage, Galatians 1-2, 2:20
Adoration: Blessed be God—Eternal Father, Son, and Spirit most holy. Hollowed be your name O’ High King of Heaven. You give grace and peace to all who are with you; whom you have formed again and set aright.
And according to your perfect will Father, our Lord and Savior gave himself for our sins, delivering us from this present evil to the glory of God forever and ever. Christ is–and has given the gospel. Its content is set; there is no other—we know of none.
Only the dead in spirit claim a contrary view and create deception with cunning options and enlightened opinions. They decimate their own lives and the lives of others; for they are the enemies of God and hate all that he is.
Their own ruin is at the center of this rebellion. Many approve of their rhetoric and pomposities; for such, is pleasing to their love of sin. Let them, each one be saved or accursed according to your will Father. Either way, each will know that you are God and there is no other.
And the servants of Christ cannot waiver, will not compromise and shall not stand down. For the gospel of man is rubbish and awash with the stench of death. And though we have no want of sin, its scent is yet upon us and we taste it in the air.
It is a strange state of being—this transformation and disapproval of sin. You only O’God give us grace through our trust in Christ. Even before our birth you set us apart from the decaying world. You send us away, as it were, to bring us back anew, no longer destroyers but builders—planters—tillers and harvesters.
And though we travel fast through our days, we do not run in vain; for we are no longer slaves to our own desires. For Christ did not die without purpose but for righteousness to stand; that the schemes of the evil one and the foolishness of men, would fade away.
Confession: So, we confess both our involvement and our disapproval of sin’s worthlessness. Rooted in the fragrance and beauty of Christ, our lives are now his and we gladly confess our dependance upon him and the Holy spirit who sustains us to his glory. We further confess that our sin does not make Christ a servant of sin, for he is sinless.
We cannot rebuild what is torn down—this is the way of sin; for though the law of God destroys, the kindness of God restores and brings to life what has died. And if we are crucified with Christ, he lives within us—we can never again be what we were.
Thanksgiving: So, our gratitude O’ King of heaven, is upon your altar. Thank you, for we know that we are not what we were, nor yet what we shall be.
Thank you that we are justified through faith in Jesus Christ—trusting in him alone for our righteousness and not in our own pitiful deeds. For His law rests upon our souls; we shall no longer follow the rules we’ve created to have praise in ourselves. In Christ, our souls are free from such toil and strife.
Supplication: Now Father, we ask always that you keep us in step with the truth of the gospel. New life is by faith in the Son of God who loves us and gave himself for us; increase therefore, our faith.
May the influential and the powerful make no difference to us; for you O’Lord are not partial to human persuasion. May we give the right hand of fellowship to all, for it is a gracious and merciful gift from God who always remembers the poor.
Help us to keep hypocrisy from our works, that it should not seep through the cracks of our weaknesses. All this, we ask for the Sake of Christ—to the glory of God, amen. †
07/25/2021 #141—Sermon Passage, Ephesians 2:1-10
Adoration: Blessed be you O’God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. You have given us the Word of truth, the Gospel of your salvation, and we have believed in him whom you sent.
Though we were dead in our sins—the passions of our flesh and our desires for disobedience; you have saved us from all of that. And sealed us in the Holy Spirit, the assurance of our inheritance—to the praise and glory of Christ our Lord.
O’Father, by your will—desire—grace and mercy in the work of our Lord, we are the Saints of Christ; faithful by design, at peace through his suffering and redeemed from the mire of death and sin.
For in Christ, we are blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. Even before the foundations of the world were set, you chose us in him, for our redemption—to make us holy and blameless before you.
In love, you predestined us and adopted us to yourself, that according to the purpose of your will, we would become your sons and daughters through Christ. And all of this was done to the praise of your glorious grace in your beloved Son, our Lord.
According to the riches of your grace which you have lavished upon us in Christ through his blood, we have redemption and the forgiveness of our sins.
In all wisdom and insight, you have made known to us the mystery of your will, which is according to the purpose you established in Christ, Jesus. From the heart of eternity came a plan, that at the fullness of time you would reunite all things in heaven and on earth in Jesus Christ.
Confession: Lord God, in realization of your mercies, we mournfully confess, that like the rest of mankind, we were by nature, children of wrath.
But in joy we confess, that even though we were dead in our sins and trespasses, because you are so very rich in kindness and have loved us beyond our comprehension, you have made us alive together with Christ. Who can understand such compassion?
We confess Cheerfully, that we have been saved by grace through faith. Our trust in Christ—is life itself. And so, as Scripture proves: it is only by grace that we can confess our faith in Christ alone, to the glory of God alone. These things, as one thing—we confess.
Thanksgiving: Thank you Father for raising us up with Christ; and seating us with him—who sits with you; our sojourn arrived, the heavenly places—found. Thank you also for the confidence in—and the assurance of the days to come, where you shall display your endless riches of grace and kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
We are so very thankful, that none of this is by our own doing. It is neither the result of our decision, nor of any works to appease your wrath, but rather, it is the gift of blessings in Christ to us. So, our gratitude is eternal.
We cannot and shall not boast of anything; for we are your workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which you prepared for us in advance, so that by grace, we may humbly and confidently, walk in them.
Supplication: Therefore, we ask only this: Be glorified O’Father—Son and Spirit God. Let all the world fade into dust and return anew, cleansed. Let every star fall and the sun hide its face at the return of our savior Jesus Christ.
Our desire now, is for your glory, honor and majesty. This is our prayer in Christ our Lord, amen. †
08-08-2021 #142—Sermon Passage, Hebrews 9-10
Adoration: Father God, your grandeur, mercy, and grace embrace us; we know it full well. You have put your laws in our minds and written them upon our hearts.
You are God alone and we are your people. You make yourself known to us and we know you. Your light is upon us and your Word intreats us to see you clearly. For many say they have come to know you, but do not keep your commandments; they are liars, and the truth is not in them.
At the beginning, you weaved together body and soul—spirit and blood. From the dust of the earth, you formed our bodies and from your very mouth you breathed into us—living spirit. You imbued your image upon us and set us upright in the way we should go. By your design, we are both many and one; blood-of-blood—spirit-of-spirit.
The life you give is a tapestry of the visible and invisible—for the substance of our lives are both. Though they are easily parted, apart, we are less; for as one—body and soul flourish.
The visible makes known the invisible; earthly points to the heavenly. You give the tangible to reveal the intangible—the more coherent and real. Our minds cannot fully conceive what our hearts wholly desire.
So, the forgiveness of the sins of wretches, is doled out upon them by judgment in the body of virtue. The flow of innocent blood to give life and freedom to the captive and dead.
A new covenant full of grace and righteousness; Almighty-God sitting at the right hand of God-Almighty. He is destroyer of sin, the sword of justice; the Word become flesh and the light of men that darkness can never overcome. Who can grasp what has been done by God?
Confession: And what can we do but confess that we have lived wickedly, chosen sin-over-virtue and rebellion-over-obedience? But you, O’God, are merciful toward our iniquities and you remember our sins no more.
Born of Adam—born in sin, we confess now our need of rebirth-in-Christ—our Lord and Savior. He is the torn curtain, through which we enter the holiest place.
So, this is our profession of trust: Whoever confesses that Jesus Christ—the Holy One of God; is the Son of God—God abides in him, and he abides in God. Not just by these words spoken, but by the power of God in regeneration to new life.
Thanksgiving: So, we give thanks to you in Christ O’Father-God. We give thanks to you throughout all our circumstances; for we know that they are your will in Christ Jesus. Thank you for the forgiveness of our sins.
We give thanks to you, for you are good and your steadfast love endures forever. Thank you that in Christ we have entered the Holy of Holies as both our home and destiny come. Through all eternity—we shall sing your praises.
Supplication: Lord, now we pray that you will be our strength and our shield. That our hearts and minds will stay true to Christ who knows our sorrows and our joys, has compassion upon our lives and is with us always.
May our hearts exult you O’Lord with our songs of thanksgiving and may our minds always be set upon your glory. Cleaned from an evil conscience and washed in purest water, may we draw near to you with hearts in full assurance and trust.
There is nothing we can ask that you cannot do, so we ask that your perfect will be done on earth as it is in heaven. It is for your glory in-Christ we pray, amen. †
08-15-2021 #143—Sermon Passage, Hebrews 10:19-39
Adoration: O’Father, you have given us your Son, and He, the Spirit. Be glorified now in your people as your eternal glory shines through all creation. For you by your Word O’God—spoke, and the universe soared into existence.
Who are we to have access to your thrown room? That you should even consider us, is inexplicable. Yet, we can approach you in faith, trusting in every promise and every gift. For it is you, who in love, hold us tight to life. We are living, for you O’Lord, are living. You are the living God who sustains us.
We know all that you have done, for you’ve taught us by the language of life. In you O’ High-Priest, the vail is torn open, all obstacles fall aside, all condemnation fades from our souls; and we soar now upon your presence and cast ourselves upon your love.
With submissive hearts, cleansed and full of trust, we have been purified-by-purity, made virtuous-by-virtue and now live within life’s core: it is to you O’Lord that we hold fast.
Through perseverance we stand with you—a community against all who provoke your kindness by their foolish-deeds and false-teachings; who worship false-gods and curse your name. They trampled the Son of God underfoot and violate the covenant of his blood; and the Spirit of grace is outraged.
Because their conscience reveals what is true, their judgment is worse than others. Let those who live a false-way, who do not trust, do not obey, and do not bear the fruits of godliness, be accursed; for they have rejected authentic-true-virtue to follow their own concessions, as indeed their feeling direct.
Confession: Our confession of faith O’ Father, is true and not of our own making. It is out of the love you have proven in Christ. We were steeped in sin and condemnation, but by mercy and grace in Christ, have been forgiven.
By such, we are encouraged and will encourage others. By such, we follow the Messiah with confidence into the holy-place where you reside. His blood has cleansed us and changed us from combatants to innocent and pure children; no longer distant but familiar and intimate.
We are embraced by a confession of hope that will not let us waver—but see us through. We shall wander no more, nor toil in vain. Your teachings produce hope and trust, for you are faithful and you prove it so, day-in and day-out.
Thanksgiving: Thank you for the gift of faith, for salvation, life, and the glory to come. Thank you for all that encourages our endurance, and the assurance of Christ, our inheritance.
Supplication: We ask now that you would be with us who are sick and wounded. Help us to exercise endurance by practicing your will. Keep us from Shrinking back and inviting your displeasure in us. Help us to never retreat or surrender.
May we strengthen one another to trust you rather than the weak and unrooted ideas of the heart. Help us to never reject what we have trusted and understood, but to be wise in our endurance.
Help us to return to you humbly if should willfully sin. For if we are truly yours, we can never refuse to repent of our sins; it is not possible. Preserve now and forever our souls in Christ, we pray for the glory of Christ, amen. †
08-22-2021 #144—Prayer of Adoration, Passage, Hebrews 11 “God’s Gift of Faith”
O’God—our Father, Our Lord, and Spirit of Holiness; we are assured, confident and secure in our hopes and convictions, and you commend us for trusting in you—and you alone.
You grant to us assurance and hope like no other. It is not just an idea of what belief is—or of our desire that a thing be true, but rather, a superior trust based in the evidences you have displayed everywhere. No corner of reality stands on its own accord.
By your mighty and powerful command, you brought the universe into existence—all that is in the cosmos: the stars and worlds, the earth and space, living bodies and spirits. Everything seen and unseen—is from your hand.
You O’God have established all things and have blessed our souls with kindness. Your mighty works support our reliance upon you. You give us just what we need and praise us for bringing it to bear.
Because you are holy, our sacrifices will be holy. We shall not bid you false or unsuitable tribute, but shall honor your name with what pleases you. So that even in death, our declarations of life will be known.
For you are the King of life. You reward and watch over those who trust and honor you, who draw near to you with confidence and who do your will in reverence and awe.
Many are saved and many condemned by the faith of one. Though we may suffer from reticence, in wonderous anticipation, we shall go to where you send us O’God. For we trust in your faithfulness.
Like the stars of heaven and the sands by the seas, you have multiplied your people in love. Like those before us who saw the promise from afar, we seek the homeland beyond.
We are wonderous travelers, strangers, and exiles in a land clearly not our own. For it is you and no other who bids us well and summons us to the city of promise. We are therefore, confident that nothing can halt your plans for us.
If we stumble, you will help us up; if we are injured, you will heal our wounds and if we die, you will raise us from the dead. Surely your blessings now and those to follow—are the foundation of our hope.
And so, we shall not fear Kings, rulers, or authorities; for reproval from Christ—is a much greater fear. For it is better to be troubled, poor and mistreated with family, than to enjoy the life of a fool with those whom the Destroyer pursues.
And though we will be mocked, imprisoned, beaten, and tortured to death, we shall not acquiesce: For we know that God will raise us up to glory and bring down to ruin his enemies. Neither death by sword or escape of the sword will change our resolve.
The people of God trust in God. Out of weakness, we are made strong. As we receive God’s promises, we shall: Enforce justice, be Mighty in war and Conquer Kingdoms. Though we might fear distress, we will walk with assurance into the heart of the furnace and the lion’s den.
Though we will wander through deserts and mountains, and in the depths earth; we will no longer be part of a world unworthy of those in Christ. We shall pass safely through the shadows of death and fear no evil; for the LORD our God—is God in the heavens above—and on the earth below. Blessed by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, now and evermore, amen. †
09-12-2021 #145—Sermon Passage, Zephaniah 3:14-20 “Ode to Joy”
Adoration: Father God, you are the Potter and we are the clay. Many know that you are God alone, yet, they make their abode with the gods of the earth. But you are indeed—God alone and you dwell with your people always. Those whom love, stand with you. Those who oppose you, and have no regard for the Holy will be swept away in righteous judgment.
You will completely remove the wicked. For they seek only what they desire and are easily moved to swear by what they think might work. They worship everything but Almighty God. Their chattering prayers and mumbled chanting provoke you O’LORD and kindle your wrath against them.
They fill your house with violence and fraud, for they intermix the Holy and the profane. They are blind and staggering; for their blood is lifeless, like the dung and dust of the earth. Your burning anger O’Lord will be their reward.
Though healing and truth come from the God they offend, they persist in their passions and deceit. Yet, still you warn them O’God, saying: “Be silent before me; for my judgment is near, and is coming to the dull-hearted who disregard my glory. For them, my wrath will be bitter. I will flood their houses with distress, anguish and ruin.
Their reckless mocking’s will be answered, for I am God alone. And by my wrath, the remnant will have hope, assurance, and joy. For I am mindful of them who stand and rejoice with me. My judgment and revenge are their victory and restoration. My fame will fill the heavens and the earth and the truth of the matter will be known.”
Confession: Hear then our confessions O’LORD and forgive us our sins. Though we no more follow our self-passions, we have not stood against the world as well as we could. We have not stopped it, but given quarter to the enemy.
So, all that is forbidden is still among us; and we have listened to the dull-of-heart too quietly; and considered their words as though worth considering. The ugliness of their ways and the stench of death is all about.
But you O’Lord emanate beauty and fragrant life. How could we have missed it for a moment. Forgive us O’mighty God and awake us from our stupor. In your great mercy, gather us together again and again, for our joyful return is in your hands.
Thanksgiving: Our songs of thanksgiving will fill the mountains, forests, and deserts. Its very resonance will demolish every stronghold and crush every temple. You have taken away the judgment against us and destroyed the enemy, and we rejoice in our praise of you.
Thank you, O’LORD, for giving us our voices; that with the sound of the trumpets will reverberate and fill the universe with your glory.
Supplication: Change now our language, and that of the nations, to a pure tongue. May we be humble and lowly; find our refuge in you; do nothing unjust, speak no lies, practice no deceit and fear no evil. May we rejoice in the assurance that you are in our midst.
For we know that you are the mighty one who saves, who delights over us and quiets our hearts with your love. Bring us in O’Lord, gather us to your thrown. We speak and pray through Christ our savior, amen. †
09-26-2021 #146—Sermon Passage, Hebrews 11:20-23
Adoration: Father in heaven—giver of light and life—O’Lord our savior and Holy Spirit our Perfector: You are God. You are our creator, the sculptor of body and soul—the universe and all that is in it. You are Worthy—Reliable—Unchangeable and Pure.
You are Holy, and Purity beyond our grasp. Yet, that we may know you, trust you and obey you, you have revealed your unknowable-self, in your Son—our Lord. For it is you who have established our reasons for trusting. The confidence we enjoy is not of our own making; it is based in all that you are, all that you have done and all that you have promised to do.
You have given our hearts the greatest respect for your holiness. We see Justice and Mercy flowing as a river from your love. For your love is holy and cleanses your people—all chose before a word was spoken. So, we shall both live and die in complete trust of you.
Those who love you, know and believe you. What you do and have done, testifies to them, of both your integrity in promises and the reality of their fulfilment. You O’God are faithful, for you are merciful to your people. We subsist in and upon your grace. A trusting heart, is a gift-given to those to whom the Son reveals you.
Our faith is not a thing of our own making. For we are but a clay that is shaped and molded by a king. He makes us into useful vessels and objects of beauty from the dirt of the earth. And because we know him, our trust is justified, for by it, he justifies us.
It is the essence of deep fellowship; for we do not know him from a distance but from within. He has taken us into himself.
Confession: Lord, we confess that you are the author of our faith yet we are its employer. Help us when we forget, for we should be, by now, deeply rooted and fully growing.
We confess our weaknesses and our wavering. We know that the only true privilege is the trust that you have undergirded in us; for there is no greater privilege than this—that true knowledge based in trust: agrees, approves, accepts and complies joyfully.
So, our confession is that we will trust in you O’LORD, yet our trust is weak. You have enlightened our minds with knowledge of you and given us fellowship with you; and we joyfully acknowledge our dependence upon you to be our source of right thoughts—right words and right deeds; for our fallenness, though no longer complete, yet damages our resolve.
Thanksgiving: Thank you O’God for the gift of faith. Thank you for the grace and mercy behind it.
We shall prove our gratitude throughout eternity; for it is the forever condition of our hearts.
Supplication: We ask now for your blessings. That we will with every breath recognize what is true, and that it always unites with mind and soul to change our very image into that of Christ.
We pray Father, increase our ability, and resolve that we may more deeply trust in all you have said and done. And if our ideas or desires ever differ from yours, strengthen our tenacity and courage to discard them.
Help us to trust in you and not in our own understanding. Make us immovable in Christ, for it is in Him and through Him we ask all things, amen. †
10-10-2021 #147—Sermon Passage, Hebrews 11:24-28
Adoration: O’God our Father—LORD of Lords—Holy Spirit of truth, how wonderful are all your ways. You have made us yours and you are ours. You love whom you choose and redeem all that you love. From all things low and great, you bring about your purposes.
Nothing is outside of your view and resolution. You are Holy, Good and Righteous—our Lord and friend. You are as a flowing river of life, making a jagged rock—smooth. Yet those that will not turn, are reduced to sand. Nothing and no one can stand above you; for this is your creation and you alone are Lord and King over it.
The powerful and perverse pursue immorality with deftness. They have made corruption into an art that yields them wealth and prosperity. Their skills of mistreatment and self-importance have shaped only misery.
With no discernment, they cannot see their own impoverished souls. Every word spoken against you, will go back as rotten food, into the mouths of fools. The sin they swallow has becomes their nourishment.
But not so for those whose trust is not in themselves. Whose food is the bread of life and whom you are making smooth and beautiful. You O’Lord are their desire and treasure. Those who know and trust you, know that nothing so brief as the pleasures of sin will profit them.
For you have made them to see down into the heart of the world from where they came. So, they joyfully join with those of whom the world has no need. Even in the severest trials and darkest valleys, there you are with them.
Confession: Our confession O’Lord is our acknowledgment of who we are, and who our God is. It is of what we have done and what you have undone. It is of the knots we tie which you have unloosed.
Let therefore, our confession be true, that our suffering is little—compared to the glory of Christ. We confess both our fears and our stance against fear; for you O’Lord are our shield and the center and object of our trust.
We cannot and will not trust in anyone but you, for you have reasoned with our hearts and are now the means of our reliance. Yet still, we confess our haunting doubts—the remnant of our nature. But you are kind and long enduring. You give to us and teach us the virtue of trust. It is the foundation of all other virtues.
Thanksgiving: Thank you for every gift you give and yet promise. Your gifts and deeds reflect your glory and are the heart and key of our assurance. Thank you for being the truth, our source of life and the foundation of our trust.
Because You prove yourself trustworthy in all things, we do not have a faith divorced of reason. It is never a blind faith, but with eyes and heart wide open, we trust you in full assurance.
Supplication: Give us now an integrity that does not faulter; that the world may see your integrity in ours, and know that the source of our trust, is solid. Increase our faith we pray.
We ask all things in Christ, who can do all that we ask and more, amen. †
10-17-2021 #148—Sermon Passage, Hebrews 11:29-31
Adoration: O’Gracious God our Father, with Son and Spirit Almighty. How greatly does the world hate and insult your holy name? They will not and cannot see through the deep, for the darkness keeps its secret. Unless you quicken their souls, they cannot trust in what is true. The minds and hearts of the dead embrace their dissent with unshakable faith.
And your chosen will suffer reviling and the withering assaults of the enemy. Yet at every onslaught and insoluble front, you give them safe passage; either for a time or through the corridors of glory.
Your strong-arm wheels destruction; for you are the victor and the victory; the great warrior King who goes first into battle; never yielding—or giving quarter to the enemy.
Yet still, they fail to grasp their demise or the consequence to follow. Every criminal knows that the Judge is fair and just; and he hates that Judge for it. He wants to do away with all judgments; and even more, to brings evil against the Judge and all that the Judge loves deeply.
Yet the verdict still comes, a fair punishment still falls. The valleys and walls of death engulf the wicked. The Judge himself strikes them into dust. The arrogant and prideful become as shivering stalks of tare.
For they have miscalculated and disregarded whom it is—they have engaged. All those who hate God and all that God loves, will sink into a dark and eternal depth of despair.
So, we—God’s own, must exclaim: Let the sea rage and do its worst—our trust is in God. Let the enclosures, that the rebellious have built, fall to the ground—our trust is in God; and let the defiant perish in their delusion, for our trust is in God who has warmly welcomed us into the Way of Life—by the Son of Truth.
Confession: We confess O’Lord, that we are not who we were. We have come to see our sins for what they were and are. Although they whisper to our conscience, our backs are turned against them. We are moored as wheat in good soil, moved by wind and bathed in light, you have nurtured us for the harvest.
We confess that you have made our trust possible; and although weakly, we bear it nobly. So, our faith compels us to confess, that you are God alone and our means of knowing you. You are trustworthy and sufficient in every way and all circumstances.
Therefore, in you, we will walk on solid ground; the earth itself a companion. While many sink in the sand—death falling in upon them—we shall yet walk straight and true; for as a trusted shield, your grace and merciful array—surround us.
Thanksgiving: Our thankfulness to you O’God is our banner. We are thankful for your Word to us and that you hear our words back. Thank you for your reliability and strength during the calm and in the heat of battle. Thank you for being completely honest, for we know you cannot lie and you always keep your promises.
Supplication: Give us we pray: Strength through Humble Submission; Escape from pride and the lure of sin and Discerning and Careful hearts—ready always to speak the truth in love and kindness. Keep us from evil that pursues the mind and confronts the heart daily.
Give to us clear passage, yet teach us also how to fight and die well. These things and more we ask in Christ our Lord, amen. †
10-24-2021 #149—Sermon Passage, Hebrews 11:32-40
Adoration: O’God, what more can we say than what you have revealed to us through time: in heroes—by deed and word—Flesh and Spirit? Lord-God we trust: You are one; the only living and true God; self-existent, infinite in being and perfection.
Who but yourself can understand your essence? You are exquisitely pure Spirit—immense—inexplicable and whole. Your love and understanding do not waver.
Though your ways are unfathomable, we discern—as you reveal. Yet your character is unchanging and almighty. You dwell in eternal burning-light, which no one can approach—lest you shield them. For you O’God are Holy in every countless aspect.
Perfectly wise and free, you work all things according to your righteous will—for the express purpose of your glory. The counsel of your steady righteousness—is a set course; it does not move from center.
Loving, gracious, merciful, and patient, you overflow with goodness and truth. For glory-sake, you forgive the remorseful of their iniquity, transgression, and sin. They are overjoyed by your countenance, for you reward those who seek you diligently. Yet still, your judgments are perfectly fair and altogether terrifying.
For you hate all sin—and the guilty—who have given their souls away, will be punished forever. Their offenses are no small matter. And we know that you O’Lord, are all-sufficient. All splendor—life—beauty and goodness dwell in you.
You do not require the presence of any creature you have made—nor do you receive your glory from them. But rather, you demonstrate your glory in them, by them and upon them as you please. For you alone are the source of all being.
Everything is from you, through you, and to you. All things are laid bare, open, and evident before you—for you know all things as they are and are to be. Your plans, works and commands are holy and every creature owes you alone their worship, service, and obedience and whatever else, that you are pleased to require of them.
Confession: O’God of wonder, joyfully we confess, that we are yours and you are ours. Therefore, we know what must be done.
For you have said: “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. Whoever does not love me, does not keep my words.”
So, although our workings lack perfection, in Christ, perfection is granted; in him we move and have our being.
Thanksgiving: So, with thankful hearts O’Lord, our souls are in your refuge. We give thanks, for by faith you have conquered kingdoms and circumstances of every kind.
Every promised, holding true now and in all the days to follow.
Supplication: Father-God we pray: If torture is allowed, keep our hearts strong, that we will refuse any offer but yours—to rise again to a better life. May we endure every mocking-mouth and every abuse that is not justly averted.
Whether thrashings, imprisonment, or death, we are safely held by your mighty hand. Though in deserts, on mountains, or in the dens of the earth, keep us true to Christ and your indwelling Spirit.
Father, Son, and Spirit, you O’God are the foundation of all of our fellowship. Our dependence is upon you and in you. You are our comfort now and forever-and-ever, amen. †
11-14-2021 #150—Sermon Passage, Hebrews 12
Adoration: O’Father in Heaven, Almighty God—Lord Christ, Founder and Perfector of Our Faith—and most Holy Spirit of Truth: How great are your ways; how magnificent are your works and how beautiful is your appearance to the poor, meek and hungry.
Who does not fall-down as a quaking reed before you? Even the delusional—who hate you passionately, know that their hour soon approaches.
But you have surrounded us with true witness, lifted from us our clinging sins and given us strength to persevere, our burdens suffered by Christ. For though he hated the shame of his cross, he endured it in view of the beauty at his Father’s right hand…the very throne of God.
Therefore, we shall not grow weary or faint of heart. For though we have not suffered as he, we are yet sons and daughters of the King—thankful for his discipline and correction—so that we do not spoil like the illicit and the dead.
Though in discipline our hands be slapped, our tongues be hedged and hearts be allayed, we esteem the Father who loves us; who trains us for peace and righteousness. Your holiness O’God brings an end to our rebellion. May any hardship you warrant, cause us to see your glory more clearly and your love more plainly.
For a tempest of blazing fire or darkness and gloom do not stay our approach. We do not tremble in fear of death, but in awe of the living God, his glory, his heavens, and his justice. With the angles, with all who are made perfect, we praise the judge of righteousness—his covenant and our mediator the Lord through his sacrifice of blood.
We will not refuse or reject your word O’God. We do not desire an escape from truth. Those who throw-it-away never loved you, never yielded, nor cared to understand. For it is your voice that shapes—and shakes all of creation—from, and into dust.
It is your winds that save or blow-away the sands-of-time and the folly-of-men. And the things that will not be destroyed, that have been hidden, will appear as-they-are and evermore shall be.
Confession: O’Father, hear now our confessions through our Lord, for the Spirit has moved our hearts and humbled our ways. Our swords were neither true, nor righteous; so are put away into their place.
For you bless the peacemakers, and call them sons of God. You have shaken us to the core and remade us from the dust. We stand now in confession with the armies of your realm.
Thanksgiving: Thank you for giving us a kingdom that cannot be shaken. Thank you for your mercy to us, that in reverence and awe our worship may be suitable.
We are grateful to know, that you are a consuming fire and a flowing river, a gentle voice and with a word that builds and destroys. For you bring down false empires and build the true city. No one can touch you but you touch whom you please and they are not destroyed.
Supplication: O’Lord help us to lift our drooping hands. Strengthen our weak knees. Help us to walk straight paths with feet you have healed. Help us strive for peace and holiness, without which, we not will see you.
May we obtain your perfect grace where no bitterness remains. May we be morally attractive and a delight to you. For salvation, glory and power belong to you O’God and your judgments are true and just.
Through our Lord and savior Jesus Christ we pray, amen. †
11-21-2021 #151—Sermon Passage, Hebrews 13:1-19
Adoration: O’Lord God of Heaven, Maker of earth, giver, and sustainer of life, you have loved us as sons and daughters from before the foundations of the world. You have given us brothers and sisters, together, as one people—all approved by you for your glory.
Though we were as strangers and wonderers, you O’Lord have brought us warmly to your home. You have shown us mercy and grace and have set us at your table—in the presence of angles.
Magnificent are your ways and wonderful are the laws you have written upon our hearts; indeed, it is true love to do your will. To do as you say with joy, is to speak the language of love. For you have engraved our names—on the palms of your hands.
Long before our souls lived or stirred in the body, you knew us as though we were already. And as in time we appeared, you cared to watch over us—through all our striving and woes. Even now, you are faithfully moving us to—where-and-what—we shall be.
So, we cannot help but trust you O’Lord. You have told us that you will never leave nor forsake us, and this we believe. You are our true-helper, so we shall fear nothing and no one.
Though the world may ply its worst against us, we will not fear, for you O’Lord, are the same yesterday, today and forever. You are our strength, our song—and our salvation.
For our great blessing, you suffered through blood and shame O’Lord. So, we shall not fail to come to you by any or very similar means. For we are no more at home here. This place and life do not last—but all that you provide—and have done for us—does.
Confession: So, we confess gladly in our songs of praise for salvation, that you are our God and we are your people. We confess that we are fully nourished by the fruit of the truth. For it is there in what you have done within-us and all about—and in what is yet to follow.
Thanksgiving: Thank you for every servant you have chosen to lead us; who spoke your word to us and watched over us—your family of souls. Thank you, that we may consider their lives, through faith in Christ, as lives to emulate.
Thank you for strengthening our hearts by grace that we might know authentic devotion and steadfast resolve. Thank you for a clear conscience and the desire to act and live honorably regarding all things.
Thank you, Lord-God, for your love is unwavering and endures forever. Out of our distress we have called upon you and you have answered. With you as our helper and there at our side, who can prevail against us? For we trust in awe of you and not in man.
Supplication: We pray, that you always remind us of those in prison for your sake; and of those who are mistreated and discouraged, for we are present with them in Christ. Help us also to desire only what you have provided, so that wealth is never our passion, friend, or comforter.
May we honor our marriages, remaining devoted, as you are to us. May we be morally pure as you are pure and may truth and high-honor permeate and surround our thoughts and deeds. May we reject all unreliable and odd teachings; for they are wedges-that-divide. May the Lord himself be our path, for he always tells us the truth—and gives life everlasting to everyone who trust in him. We ask all things in his name, amen. †
11-28-2021 #152—Sermon Passage, Hebrews 13:1-19
Adoration: O’God our creator and savior, you are holy; you have loved us and made us your own. You are eternally true and your love is upon those who know you. In you, we have found rest from our labors. You have made our burdens lighter and easier to bear. The works you give us to do, are works of joy.
You are gentle and patient with us. From the humbleness of your heart, you have taught us all that is needed. You have brought us into your courts above, where there is life, safety, and comfort; our souls are at ease.
Great things you have done for us O’Lord. You have filled our hearts with laughter, for we have seen your glory. That we love one another and continue in love, reflects your love for us. That we welcome strangers, keep the beloved in mind, and suffer with them, are all good things, and we desire all that is good.
Everything you require O’ Lord is good—to honor marriage with purity, to be trustworthy, to be unattached to useless desires and content with what you have provided. For we know that loving grace and mercy strengthens and reshapes our hearts. So too, we know your judgments are perfectly righteous.
We are confident in you O’God. You are behind us, before us and within us, our helper, and our strength. No one can stop or change what you have done. We fear nothing, for our reverence is yours alone. And whomever speaks your word truthfully, we shall follow. For if true to you, their lives will also prove true.
Because you are the Lord and do not change, we will recognize deceivers and frauds by their useless pursuits.
Confession: Our confession of faith O’God, is before you in our lives. We live as we believe. We are either of this world or here from outside its gates, sojourners in the valley of shadows. Yet we confess, that we sometimes struggle to discern where we are.
Our place here—and our life there—sometimes gets blurred and we lapse in our distinctions. Deception weaved together with truth is a dark and weary deceit. Yet, O’God of truth, you always bring our hearts back into focus and we remember who you are, all you have said and all you have done.
Thanksgiving: Thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such is your gracious will.
And we know that: All things have been handed over to the Son from the Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. For this, and all else, we are truly thankful.
Supplication: We pray O’Great God, help us to bear the same reproach Christ bore from the world; for we are in him and he in us. May our acknowledgment of his name prove as a sacrifice of praise; and may it be to you—a sweet aroma.
Help our resolve to obey you and those who watch over our souls. May you see joy in our meekness and in the harmony of our calling. Restore us daily with clear conscience, for you are the God of peace, of our great shepherd and eternal covenant.
Equip us we pray, to do your will and the work that is pleasing in your sight. Through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ we pray, amen. †
12-12-2021 #153—Sermon Theme: “God as our Shepherd"
Adoration: Lord God—Creator and Shepherd of Heaven and earth; Sovereign over all you survey. You—O’Lord, have ushered your flock into captivity, freedom and exile. You have gone before us in the wilderness and out into green pastures.
You have watched over us through our troubles and our woes. The toils you have arranged for us, are always for our good, to secure virtues, a future—and the praise of your glory.
Our admiration is ever before you. Our souls have heard the beauty of your voice, soothing and familiar; and so, we rise and follow where you lead. By your rod and staff, you protect us. You wheeled them exquisitely to decimate our ravenous enemy.
We have seen him fall like lightening from heaven. You have ruined his plans and scattered his flock. Your vengeance rages against them all, as your wrath quickly approaches.
Your judgments are terrifying. It is a great comfort—to stand behind you; as heretofore we stood in affront. Your power is stirred up and you save your people. You restore us and shine your face upon us.
And though a valley of shadows and the stench of death surround us, you have calmed our fears with a sweet fragrance, and anointed our souls with hope. And this, not of our own accord—but of that which only you afford, for you have made us righteous, dwelt within us, and restored us. Your goodness and mercy enfold our souls. We want nothing more.
For you who are enthroned above the cherubim, shine forth! Your power and might radiate throughout the universe and you make your little ones greater than the stars of heaven.
You are our God; our Father, our Shepherd, and our Comforter. Your ways are firmly set and your heart is gentle toward us. You search for us and you find us. You drive us and guide us. You steer and direct our ways with counsel and wisdom. You take us through danger, rescue us out of the thick, fight for us, and strengthen us in our weariness.
You lead us home amid the mayhem and burning fires. So, whom shall we fear?
Confession: When we sin and confess to you our sins, you are faithful to forgive us and restore us. For we know you delight in truth in our inward being where in our secret heart, you have taught us wisdom.
So, though we have sinned and sin yet, you restore to us the joy of your salvation and uphold us with your willing spirit.
Thanksgiving: Our gratitude is beyond our words, yet O’Lord, with our mouths we declare your praise. So too, may you delight in the thankfulness of our hearts, in the songs sung from out of the depths.
Supplication: Lord we pray, as you bless us and keep us close beside you; that your face will shine upon us and that you will lift-up your countenance to us. Give to us grace, mercy and peace in our Lord Jesus Christ, now and forever, amen. †
12-19-2021 #154—Sermon Passage, Luke 1:26-56
Adoration: Lord God, nothing is impossible for you. The magnificence of our dreams—were not magnificent enough. Our imaginations were too dull and our hearts too inward. Our understanding suffered from our own foolishness.
Yet in marvelous grace, you have sent your heralds to declare astounding truths—your promises from the time of the fall. Having seen only threads intertwined, you bring now the tapestry into view. All the weaving—now a beautiful cover upon us.
O’God, you have not desired sacrifices. In sin offerings, you have taken no pleasure. But behold, there is One who came to do your will, O’God, as it is written of him in the scroll of the book. In the fullness of time, out of the house of David, by the body and soul of a virgin so approved: the birth of the Promise is given.
And, blessed is she among women, and blessed is the fruit of her womb! For from her, by her Creator and Spirit most high, a son is born, Jesus the Savior of his people—Emmanuel-God with us, Messiah, Lamb of God, Light of the world, Lord of lord’s, King of kings, Man of sorrows, Mighty God, Prince of peace, the Resurrection, and the Life. Of his kingdom, there will be no end.
So, with sweet Mary we sing: “May our souls magnify the Lord and our spirits rejoice in God our savior.” He employs his servants in the best possible ways. He has made the mystery of his will a blessing; for he is holy and mighty and does great things for his chosen ones.
Through the halls of time, he makes them into a nation. From generation to generation, he has mercy on all—who in awe and truth esteem him.
He is the almighty who displays his strength, his strong love, and his holiness. He changes the nature and alignment of souls, yet scatters the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He lifts-up the humble, yet brings down the mighty from their thrones.
He fills the hungry with good things. But those who believe themselves rich—have no needs; so, he sends them away empty. In his mercy and kindness, he helps his servants and he deals with the world through them. They are all his offspring forever and they rejoice in the house of God. All things belong to him.
Confession: Thus is our confession, that we are yours and you are ours. So, use us O’Lord as you desire, as your perfect will determines. We confess to you now, that where you send us, there we shall be. What you give to us, that we shall desire.
The Joy you send to us, we shall enjoy. What sorrows may come, those we shall endure. For though our sins are many, you have dealt with them all—and all that will follow.
Thanksgiving: Glory and thankfulness to you O’God. All circumstances are in your hands and we give thanks always. We will be watchful in our thanksgiving, for your touch of grace is everywhere. Our hearts are full of gratitude.
Supplication: May we continue steadfastly in prayer. May our lives be a beacon of your love and truth to the world. Use us O’Lord to bring glory to yourself and to you free the captive heart.
Sing to the lost through the songs of our souls and cause the world to know and honor you. We pray with confidence in your grace and mercy. May your glory in Christ forever ruin the darkness, amen. †
12-26-2021 #155—Sermon Passage, Psalm 29 “Glory to God alone”
Adoration: To you alone O’God, be Glory and Honor and Praise. Because you are worthy, you have created us to know you, to enjoy you and to glorify you forever. Our Love of you and our admiration for you, is authentic—for you are trustworthy, the source of all that is beautiful.
And in your home of beauty and splendor, we have found our rest. In resplendent glory, you have formed us to worship you, and to proclaim your praises to all of creation.
As with our forefathers in faith, you have called us by name, and redeemed us for yourself. Out of the body and soul of the house of Adam, you have adopted the children of promise, whom you have loved and watched over. From before they sprang forth, you are with them, the chosen in Christ—your beloved now and forever.
The seas, rivers, fires, and flames shall not swallow them or burn them to ash. What overwhelms the armies of the world, will not overcome those who stand with you; whose wrath against them has been spent.
For your voice O’God is over the waters, the splendor of your holiness burns hotter than any fire. It flashes forth with frightening fury, yet soothes and comforts your little ones; those who are precious in your eyes, whom you love and honor; for whom Christ has given his all.
For you are the Lord-God, the Holy One and Savior of all who struggle with you, a people, chosen for a purpose. So, whom shall we fear? For you are powerful and your thunder fills the universe with majesty; you bring all resistance to naught.
You shake the wilderness, strip away the bindings and give birth to all that lives. For you are the living King, enthroned forever. You gather your beloved from the east and the west. You say to the north, “give them up;” to the south you say, “do not withhold them—bring forth my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth.
Bring everyone who is called by my name, whom I formed and created for my glory. You are my witnesses,” declares the LORD, “and my servants whom I have chosen, that you may know, believe, and understand, that I am He. Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me. I, I alone am the LORD, and besides me there is no savior.
Confession: So, out of our reliance upon you O’God, hear our confessions of belief and offense; for you see both more clearly than we.
May you delight in the first and have mercy in the second. For we are not what we were, nor yet, what we shall be.
Thanksgiving: Hear our thankful hearts O’God, as we rejoice and pray without ceasing. We thank you in Christ Jesus through all circumstances, and for the strength and peace you afford us.
Supplication: We pray now in earnest: Govern our hearts and hedge us in, for you know that we are wonderers. Help us to test everything and hold fast to the good. Help us to abstain from every evil, for you are the Father-of-lights and all-that-is-good.
O’LORD—Most Holy God, Lover of souls, Judge—Creator—Destroyer and Restorer, watch over your people and be glorified. The riches and glory of your mystery in Christ are upon your beloved.
We pray that every tongue would confess Jesus Christ as Lord, to the glory of God-the-Father on high, amen. †
Prayers 2022
01-09-2022 #156—Sermon Passage, 1 Samuel Chap. 1 “God has heard”
Adoration: O’Glorious God—Father and Savior, Comforter of your people whom you have chosen and formed—body and soul. You have created all people—with minds, intellectual skills, and hearts which you alone understand. Many go their own way, doing as they please and all that seems right to them.
They say in their hearts: “We have what we need; we are full and we are wise.” They joyfully torment the poor and gracious of heart. But certainly, it is them who are desolate, their pride blinds and robs them. They do not and will not desire what is right.
Yet, in love and mercy O’God, you lift-up the weak. You know their hunger and anxiety. Through their weeping, you hear their vows and pleadings; and you remember them in due time. All that you grant—is for your glory. All that you do—is for their good. Instruments of your power—you dwell within them.
So, you establish your house O’God; its foundation is set in the eternal hall, where all that was, is and ever-shall-be—resides. You prepare and send your people to where you are. Judgment, grace, and mercy flood over their iniquity. They are the seed, the promise, and the image you have given the world. In them, you build your house over the ages, and it stands forever.
And the mouths of the chosen speak and sing your praises. The refrain echoes from heaven over the hills and the valleys of all creation, saying: “Do not break God’s covenant; for his ways and his Word are over-and-above the dreams of man. He guides our wayward thoughts into focus and he calms our restless hearts. Our bent toward misdeed is averted for he has done great things for us. Glory to God on high.”
Confession: Hear then our confessions O’God, our sins are ever before you and we despise our rebellions. For you O’LORD are in the right-actions and deliberations of your people.
Through the images and shadows of history, you have proclaimed the truth in love, and so must we. Yet still the war rages and we shall not be complacent against the lures of the world. We will not acquiesce to provocations or even threat of death. For you have weened us from the world and established your word within us.
Thanksgiving: So, who knows the Lord, knows to thank him. And we thank you O’Father, for you have heard your servants and remembered their pledges, their burdens are in your hands.
You have rescued our barren and destitute hearts—so we sing: “God has heard and God has granted.” Our gratitude in chorus, shines into the darkness and evermore throughout the heavens.
Supplication: We pray now: May our worship and sacrifice please you. We ask all things of you in trust and confidence. For our understanding is shallow, but nothing is hidden from you. And we know you love us and always give us a double portion.
Give us resolve when provoked. Help us to endure the testing and enticements of the Evil One, for you are more to us than any treasure in life. Our faces are no longer sad, for we are in your presence O’LORD and shall dwell there forever.
In Christ, who is all in all, we pray, amen. †
01-16-2022 #157—Sermon Passage, 1 Samuel 2:1-11, “Hannah’s Prayer”
Adoration: O’LORD God, we are triumphant in you, our hearts are satisfied, our strength and our peace are in your hands. Be then exulted in your people. Rejoice in them O’God, as they do in you, their savior.
For your enemies are surely our enemies, they do not even rise to our ridicule. They mock your holiness, and your hatred for them is a holy and pure hatred.
Those who will not bend a knee, show themselves for who they are. Their hearts are proud. Their pompous talk is swollen with pretense and deceit. They are more than satisfied with themselves.
Their stronghold is vanity and their comfort is arrogance. They build their homes upon the sand and expect them to last. When they fall, they are amazed. They have fooled only the foolish, for God protects a humble heart.
You have quieted our minds O’LORD, to understand you when you speak. Your voice is familiar to us and your beckoning is welcomed. You are the Foundation of our Fortress. In the light of truth, O’God we see where you are leading, and follow.
You know our deepest desires, for you love our souls and have reshaped our innermost being. Our solace is in your covenant—the promise and joy of peace, beauty, and love.
There is none besides you O’Great God; for none but you are holy. There is no other Rock where man’s soul may anchor, for no other mooring will hold. In your presence, every proud word will fade to a murmur and fold in upon itself. Every understanding will dissolve to dust, in view of your knowledge. For you weigh all worldly wisdom and find it amiss and wanting.
But your word neither withers nor fades. It breaks the bows of the mighty but strengthens and satisfies the weak and hungry. It brings them forth to life, out of the dust and ashes.
The lowly are dignified and lifted high; for their God—is God alone. He gives and takes life, he builds and destroys empires, he gives and takes fortunes and constantly—searches the heart of man.
Confession: O’Lord, daily we confess our sins to you and daily you forgive us. Some of them have become so familiar that we forget they are with us; yet we still hate them and strive against them.
When we are complacent, they are an enemy who taunts us; but we shall not give in. When we talk proudly or feel the stirring of arrogance rise, we shall remember and confess our lord and savior, and his gracious mercies to us.
Thanksgiving: With thankful hearts O’LORD, we rejoice in your salvation. We have seen your mercy to us in Christ and his grace is our refuge.
Thank you, for you captured our wayward hearts and gave us exile, in the world where we stand. May our gratefulness prove true to you in our every word and deed.
Supplication: Lord we pray now, deliver us from our enemies, evil men and spirits who plan evil things in their hearts and always stir up malevolence.
Protect the innocent and ill-equipped from the proud, for they have hidden their traps and thrown out their nets to capture them. We pray O’God, hear our petitions; search us and know our hearts.
Try us and know our thoughts. If there are any shameful ways in us, remove them and lead us to the way everlasting. In and through the sacrifice of Christ we pray, amen. †
01-23-2022 #158—Sermon Passage, 1 Samuel 2:12-36
“Consequences of Contemptible Worship”
Adoration: O’LORD our God, Maker, and Sustainer of all creation; which you hold-and-bind together, lest it return to naught. Everything exists by your mighty power and great love.
You give a path and movement to the heavens, and by your grace, the earth rides upon its orbit and alignments. With precision, you have set its axis in place, and every creature owes you allegiance.
For even the ignorant know that they move and have their being in you. You give life and goodness to every living being. If they keep quiet and fail to praise you, even the rocks will cry out in acclaim of your glory. For you are worthy of true adoration and honest praise.
As sincere love gives root to natural obedience; so perfect trust illumines mercy, hope and gratitude. For you O’God are worthy of our purest love, our deepest worship and our genuine submission.
You are worthy of glory in the highest order; for you are holy and all things lay in the depths beneath you. You O’LORD hold reign over every circumstance. Every step of man and spirit is ordained by you, either for blessing or for curse.
Even rebellion entails permission, though severe judgment is assured. What man thinks is in his hands, under his foot and in his preview, is only a dream without substance. But those who trust in God hold in gentle grasp on what belongs to him.
For even though a man may proclaim himself to be the measure of all things, he is but dust; whose soul will decay forever. For worthless men do not know the Lord and have no desire to.
They make no search for what they do not want to find. They ignore the customs and decorum’s of heaven and earth. They take what does not belong to them and threaten violence if their demands are resisted.
They do whatever pleases them, and live in contempt of what ought to be esteemed. The blood upon their hands and vestments is unrighteous blood, for they make war against the hallowed with tributes that are profane and disgraceful.
But the robes of the pure in heart are cleansed in the righteous blood of salvation. Their sacrifices are holy and honorable. For God Almighty blesses his beloved and the hearth of their homes are filled with peace.
They delight in his steadfast love and see his scepter of justice enact his wrath. They ponder the ways that are blameless before God and strive to walk with integrity.
Confession: Each one, openly confesses and proclaims: “I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless. I will be careful to live a blameless life. I will rightly hate the works of those who fall away; and will have no part of it. It will not cling to me in any way. A perverse heart shall be far from me and I will have nothing to do with what is evil.”
Thanksgiving: A life of thankfulness outweighs ten thousand words. Silent obedience makes shouts of gratitude, as a whisper.
O’LORD God, hear then the pleadings of the heart which you have shaped anew. Our minds are open before you, and you alone know us fully.
Supplication: Father in heaven, may we always pray in a manner that honors you. May they be in the shape and sound of truth. May your name be hallowed and your will be sought in our every request. May your Kingdom come and your will be done.
Give us our daily needs and forgive us our sins as we forgive others theirs. Lead us away from temptations’ and protect us from the Evil-One. We ask as your people whom you have formed for your glory in Christ forever, amen. †
01-30-2022 #159—1 Samuel 3:1-21 “Heeding the Lord’s Call”
Adoration: LORD God our Father—Good Shepherd—Eternal Spirit our helper: Your written Word O’God is the call. Moving within and without, it is spoken to the world, yet only the chosen discern it, and capture what has happened.
Your true good-word brings bounty; for it is forthright, simple, and clear. It is the only call to life. It commands all of us to repent and place our confidence in you alone. For to whom Lord, would we go, when you alone have the words of eternal life? Yet, to the obstinate, who fight out of prideful hearts, your word is an edict of judgment—that is rightly earned.
But in the child-hearts of both young and old, whom you come to stand with, you have done great things. You have opened their eyes to see your beauty, their ears to hear your melodies and their hearts to settle from war. So, they turn from the battle of discord, lay down their arms, and fight no more.
And in the melodious strain of righteousness, you carry out judgment on those who have despised you from the start. For though you are all around them if they would but perceive, they have made their gods to approve of their ways. For who stops to listen to a refrain they hate and words they abhor?
So, as destinies are set, you call your servants from morning to evening, some two times and others three. Even amid a violent storm you pursue your own with repeated tenderness. Your lamp, lights the path for all who walk it.
So, though all know about you, not all souls yield to you. They know they are guilty and that it will not be removed. So, they suppress its troublesome presence, and say to themselves, “Surely, we will not die. God will not destroy us if we are mistaken.”
But not so the servants of God. For in the temple of the Lord and he rouses them, calling them from their sleep to give them understanding and knowledge the world distains. It is not a weak call they follow but a strong command that they embrace with joy.
It is to arise and proclaim the Word of God. To be a simple prophet, saying that, “the lord and the word of the Lord are inseparable, they are certain and true. The Lion has roared, who will not fear? The Lord has spoken…so we shall speak truthfully, and fear no one who ignores the limits of their knowledge.”
Confession: Our confession is this: “The word is near us; it is in our mouths and in our hearts. It is the word of trust that we proclaim.
For if we confess with our mouths that Jesus is Lord and believe in our hearts that God raised him from the dead, we will be saved.
For with the heart, one believes what is true and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses Christ and is saved.” For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame. For he is One Lord over all, bestowing his riches on all who call upon him.”
Thanksgiving: It is for all this and more, that our hearts are always grateful. Our thankfulness is ever before you.
Supplication: Lord, you have spoken and your servants have heard. May we never fear to tell of all that you have done.
May none of your Words ever fall to the ground but reveal you to heart and mind in Christ, amen. †
02-20-2022 #160—1 Samuel 4-5
Adoration: LORD God of hosts, the armies of heaven stand ready to march; to swarm across the earth and destroy every stronghold. They are loyal, every-one; yet with man, it is not so. If you are with him, one man against a thousand is enough.
For you are like a great fire that engulfs his enemies. He goes out to battle, but the victory is in your hands. When your people humble themselves, you prove your steadfast love.
But if they have no regard for you, whatever they fight, will defeat them. On the field of battle, they will fall, and their prideful banners will burn. Then they will cry out, “Why O’God—why do you not save us from our enemies?” Their downfall is your response, and your silence O’LORD will shock them; for their lives are shallow, and their hearts have turned inward.
They have feigned obedience and become dispassionate in their duties. But you O’God, are worthy of only true love. Yet, they exchanged their love, their faith in you, to trust in schemes and artifacts. They disregarded the One who ordains the outcome, to call upon the power of relics.
Though you have clearly spoken O’God, a fool’s heart is deaf. You have given fair and perfect commands, but the arrogant make their own plans. They plot and organize, but their strategies come to naught.
They trust in their own cleverness, for their conceit has no bounds. Because they have not believed, the enemies’ dark-and-sinister courage—rises. He boldly breaks through to capture, slaughter and destroy.
Yet, where the enemy has lifted-up his false gods, the one-true God, will decimate and dismember it. Where the enemy boasts of his victories the one-true God will strike him mute, deaf, and blind. So, if he becomes courageous in evil, the people of the one-true God, will be twice as courageous for good.
And, to his wayward, disobedient-and-contrary people, God holds out his hands. For unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it, labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. It is in vain that many rise-up early and go-late to rest—and eat the bread of their anxious toil.
They have failed to grasp what is soon to come? For the Kings of the earth, will shut their mouths because of him. What has-not been told to them, they will see, and what they have-not heard, they will understand?
Having the true God, ought not those whom he looks over—trust in him and wait upon him? Ought they not be humble, faithful, and obedient? Ought they not pursue wisdom? How many O’Lord act the role, to have you in their quiver. How many O’God disregard your word—to do what seems right to them?
How many will say on that day: “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy, cast our demons, and do mighty works in your name? And you shall declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ But God gives to his beloved sleep; and they do what is in their Shepheard’s heart. Night and day, they fear nothing, but his displeasure.
Confession: So, the true-in-heart profess their love. They obey, trust and joyfully bow down. When they sin, and in sorrow confess, their LORD is faithful to forgive them and restore them fully.
Having now new hearts, we confess to you Father, that we still wander and fall short daily—yet daily, you bring us back, feed us, hedge us in, and show us your great love.
Thanksgiving: Thank you O’Lord, for watching over us. You discipline us, find us where we hide and comfort us in our distress. You have overwhelmed our adversary and crushed his head.
The line is drawn and we will stand as you have place us. Now and forever—our gratitude is boundless.
Supplication: We ask Father, please deliver us from the Evil-One and crush all arrogance within our own hearts.
Remind us daily, that it is you who go before us; that we have been forgiven in Christ, and must also forgive.
May your commands be our desires—one in the same. And may your will be done on earth through Christ as it is in heaven, amen. †
02-27-2022 #161—Sermon Passage, Titus 3:4-7 “Grace Alone”
Adoration: God, Almighty Father—Christ our Savior—Holy Spirit, reformer of our souls, before the ages began, you promised grace in mercy, justice in truth and beauty in righteousness.
By your trustful Word, you have blessed us with knowledge of the truth. You have created faith within us, that our trust in you would be manifest. It is clear to us, that no-one deserves such gifts.
Your Word O’God affords to us transcendence, purity, and the hope of eternal life. You command: “Put in order what remains,” and so, our course is set. Though even more so, for the leaders you give us, we also will be above reproof.
For whom you save, you also mold into a blameless vessel and a steward of virtue. As such, we will be faithful, true, and devoted to our spouse and children. That by receiving such great virtue, they will desire to be virtuous.
Therefore, cowardice, dishonesty and disobedience will leave our hearts. Arrogance, unjust-anger, greed, and the love of violence, will fall away to humility, self-control, moderation and courage. In all things, be our strength O’LORD.
Holding firm to your reliable word, we love-now sound doctrine, and stand firm against whomever-or-whatever denies it. For you are God, the one who watches over us—and we shall do what you command.
If we are your obedient children, we will not conform to the passions of our former ignorance. But shall be holy in all our conduct, for you who have called us to yourself, are holy. Our thoughts, words and deeds belong our God.
And you implore us, “beware,” for many who claim to love you, are frauds who think wickedly of others. They offer the empty words of their still-stone-hearts, for they are devoted to deception. Nothing is pure in a ruined and unbelieving soul.
They profess to know God, but deny him by their works. They are in fact, unfit for any good works. Their minds and their consciences suffer from corrupted. Yet, the pure in heart, those whom God has redeemed and adorned in Christ, are delivered from ruin.
Confession: So, this is our confession: We are saved by the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior; not because of our works of righteousness, but because of his great love and mercy. It is the Holy Spirit himself, who has washed us.
He has cleansed us in Christ to stand beautiful before the thrown of God. We have been justified by his grace and so, have inherited the eternal life, which only he provides.
Thanksgiving: Thanks be to God on high, to Christ our Savior and to God the Holy Spirit. We give you thanks O’LORD. You are trustworthy and good and your love endures forever. Our hearts overflow with thankfulness, which the world cannot know.
We know full well, that every good and perfect gift, comes down to us from above. For you are our Father, the Father of lights, with whom there is no deviation or shadow of change.
Supplication: LORD, now we pray, help us to know you better. Enhance our minds with even more knowledge of you. Make our roots grow-down-deep into you. Hedge us in and cause our lives to be built solely upon you.
Help our faith to grow strong in the truth of you. Make and keep our hearts entangled-up with yours. Reassure our souls and perfect our thinking. Increase our love and our trust in you through Christ alone, amen. †
03-13-2022 #162—Sermon Passage, 1 Samuel 7 “Repentance and Grace”
Adoration: O’Lord God, High king of heaven, Shepherd of the house of Christ, you are One—we are yours. We do and shall love you, with all of our heart, all of our soul and all of our mind. Your saving words are written upon our hearts. We shall tenderly teach them to our children—talk of them in our homes and on the path as we walk.
When we lie down at evening and rise-up at morning, your word will be on our thoughts and in our bones; for you shape every vessel in which you dwell. Like strings upon our fingers, we will bind your word to us, and attend to it carefully. We will write it on the gates and doorposts of our homes.
Receiving all gifts from above, we’ll ne’er forget who gives them. May the awe and songs of souls, fill the heavens above. For you alone are due honor, glory, and worship. You alone are God; the God of great glory, majesty, and power. We cannot but bend our knees, and bow our heads in utter esteem.
Yet, your enemies, even though you have been good to them, give honor to nothing. They make themselves as chaff on the threshing floor. So, you thunder with a mighty sound and drive them into madness. You subdue and strike them down. You burn them to ash, like the grass of the fields.
Your anger is kindled against those who deal with you falsely. You declare to them: “Go and cry out to the gods whom you have chosen; let them save you in your time of distress.”
Yet, by grace, you save whom you will. You place a Stone in their midst as a witness to them; it is one of peace and forgiveness. It is a Stone of remembrance that cannot be moved.
In the same way, your mercy and grace are before us; you will not remove it. You make us into an alter wherever we go. For you are a jealous and holy God, and there will be no god’s before you.
They were our shame, but with joy, we have cast them out. The old ways no longer guide us. For out of death, and by your decree, you deliver us from our delusions; your wrath is stayed. You have awakened our souls from their sleep, and set us on a narrow path. Out of the house of slavery, a new home has arisen.
Confession: Hear then our confession O’King of glory: Our sins were egregious; we were blind to them. Though now justified, we struggle; for they are ever before us. Yet by faith and repentance, our resistance advances. For you O’Lord, restore what is fallen.
All whom believe, and as you choose, rise-up to walk. By grace, you have given faith to the faithless; the virtues of trust and truth. So, we shall lament no more—our weeping has stilled. What is yours, is redeemed. Whom then we shall serve? You assure us of our standing—and into the battle, we go.
Thanksgiving: Thank you for your saving graces O’Lord. You could have abandoned us to the dismal depths of sin, but you did not. You could have left us to ourselves, but you chose not.
Though our hearts were hard and our thoughts were dire, you showed us mercy and grace. Our souls are ever thankful, O’Lamb of God.
Supplication: We pray now, help us to walk as hallowed, for you have set us apart. Keep us ever diligent, focused on your word, wise to think carefully and humble to follow your directives.
Give us wisdom and patience to wait upon you. Help us to serve Christ in all that we think, say and do. For his sake and ours we pray, amen. †
03-20-2022 #163—Sermon Passage, 1 Samuel 8 “Give us Tyranny”
Adoration: O’Lord our God, you are great, and have blessed our souls forever. Your magnificence is beyond description, for you are enclothed in purest light.
The heavens, like a tent stretched-out across the skies, are a preview of your majesty. In brilliant array, the beams of your chambers are laid out upon the waters. You ride upon the wings of the wind, and make the clouds your chariot.
It is you who have set the earth on its foundations, so that it should never be moved. It is you who destroy, and you who renew the face of the ground. It is you who covered it with deep waters like a garment rising high above the mountains.
You commanded the deep with your voice of thunder, and the waters fled away. You set their boundaries, which cannot be crossed. And the mountains rose and the valleys sank to the places you assigned for them.
You made the springs rush forth to flow between them, and give drink to every man and animal. The birds of the heavens dwell beside them and sing their songs of joy, as you taught them. You cause the grass to grow and you bring forth food from the earth. You give man wine to gladden his heart, oil to make his face shine and bread to strengthen him.
You planted the cedars and the fir trees of Lebanon where the stork and sparrow build their nests. You made the moon to mark the seasons and the sun to rise and set in perfect rhythm. You gave the darkness of night, so the beasts of the forest can steal about.
The young lions roar and stalk the prey you have placed before them. When the sun rises, they go back to their dens to rest. And man goes out to do his work until the evening; he moves across the earth to subdue it, and every creature fears him.
O Lord, in wisdom, you have you created all things; your works are all-embracing. Every living thing, both great and small, depend on you to feed them. When you open your hand, they are filled with good things. When you hide your face, they are dismayed.
When you take away their breath, they die and return to the dust. You look upon the earth and it trembles. You touch the mountains and they smoke. For you are not a King who takes what is not yours already. You do not need man to serve you, as though you were in want. All the earth and all its beauty, is yours. Yet in his rebellion, man’s sin has diminished and tarnished it all.
He has blinded himself and made his heart a source of madness. He has rejected your glory, for the fleeting vapors of the world. You make him a judge for righteous sake; but in wickedness, he perverts justice and does what ought-not be done. He deceives and insults the innocent and pure of heart. In his corruption and love of profit, he takes what is not his.
Confession: We confess O’God, how much like them, we are. We are prone to want worthless things, and to reject you for the slightest reason.
We confess our erratic ways and our need to repent.
Thanksgiving: Thank you O’Lord for being long suffering. Thank you for loving us in our foolishness and saving us, even during our acts of rebellion and of discarding what is precious, beautiful and true.
Supplication: We pray O’LORD, may you rejoice in your works, and in those who love you. May all our ways be pleasing to you.
May we choose your glory over that of the world; and rejoice in you forever. Glory to God on high and Jesus Christ our Lord, amen. †
04-10-2022 #164—Sermon Passage, Matt. 21:1-11
Adoration: O’Lord, Messiah, King of Jerusalem—King of heaven and earth, King of all creation—Humble Conqueror—Liberator of your people.
A voice has cried out in the wilderness, “Prepare the way of the Lord; make straight his way in the desert. Every valley shall be lifted-up, and every mountain and hill, made low. The uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places—smooth. The Lord has spoken and revealed his glory; it is hidden from no one.”
And the word became flesh, and dwelt in our presence. He stirs the waters in the “House of Mercy” and makes the springs of Gihon flow into the city. He enters through its gates, upon the foal of a donkey—a beast of burden.
As the Prophets have said: “Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised in the city of our God! His holy mountain stands high and beautiful. It is the joy of all the earth. Within her strongholds, God has made himself known as a fortress. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”
Has it not been told to you from the beginning? Have you not heard? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth? It is he who sits above the circle of the world; its inhabitants are like grasshoppers.
It is he who stretched out the heavens like a curtain—like a tent to dwell in. It is he who brings princes to nothing, and makes the rulers of the earth fall like chaff. In him, the LORD has declared comfort to his people, their warfare has ended. Their iniquity, though great, is pardoned by the hand of the Lord.
This Jesus of Nazareth, is the long-awaited promise of God. Expect no other; let no one deceive you—it is he. So, let us then spread out our cloaks—our prayer shawls upon the road; for the promised Messiah has come.
He has traveled far from his home. Cover his path with green palms, for he is worthy. Let them quell the dust—our High Priest has come; the fruit of the palm has ripened.
Praise, honor, and glory belong to him, for he is the Lord-of-lords and King-of-kings…and there is no other. Rejoice and celebrate his victory. All the earth be glad, and sing a new song to the LORD. He is good and all that he does is good.
Confession: Listen to him O’stubborn of heart, confess you sins and repent. For all flesh is grass, and its beauty is like the flower of the field. When the breath of the Lord blows on it, the grass withers, and the flower fades; but his word stands forever.
Behold, the Lord God comes with power, and his reward is with him. As a shepherd he tends his flock, and gathers his lambs to his bosom.
Thanksgiving: Thanks, and praise be to our God. All the nations are empty and less than nothing before him. For he alone restrained the waters in the hollow of his hand and he alone marked off the heavens with a span. He enclosed the dust of the earth to give it its portion.
He set the hills in balance and weighed the mountains on a scale. So, who can measure the Spirit of the LORD, or advise him on how to proceed? Give him praise and thanks O’man, for Justice, knowledge and understanding belong to him.
Supplication: Lift up now your eyes on high, and see. Make your requests known to him who creates, names, and upholds all things. Not one thing is out of place. He does not faint or grow tired; but gives strength to the weary.
He does not require works to balance the scale, but alone sets it right. All who wait upon him are renewed, and he sends his messiah, our savior, to gather his little ones. Lay out your life before him and worship him forever, amen. †
04-22-2022 #165—Exodus 34:5-7 “Christ Alone”
Adoration: LORD God, this day and forevermore, we praise your holy name. From the rising of the sun to its setting, we praise you. You have made known your name and declared your righteousness to all creation. For you O’God are the LORD, sitting high above heaven and earth.
From far above, and from deep within, you examine all the nations and the evil works of man. Yet you are gracious to him and slow to anger. Even in his wandering dullness, you preserve him for your glory.
Who is like you O’LORD? You proclaim your name. You descend in the clouds and stand by your servants. You reveal yourself so that all the earth may know, that you alone are God; LORD of lords and KING of kings. You prove daily to be merciful and gracious. You stay your wrath and your steadfast love abounds in faithfulness.
For iniquities, transgressions and sins, your love stands firm upon the precipice of ruin; as your forgiveness envelops your own. Yet by no means will you justify the obstinate. Upon those who ignore their guilt, deny their shame and hate your name, you will pour out your wrath, and so too, on their children and their children’s children, for generations.
So, who is like the LORD our God? You exact mercy and justice to the praise of your people. You raise the poor from out of the dust. You lift the needy from the ashes and exalt them. You bless the one whose transgression and sin is forgiven. Blessed is he against whom you count no evil, in whose spirit no deceit is found.
To all creation, O’God, we proclaim, your beauty and righteousness; for if we did not, our bones would waste away and our souls would groan in agony. All that is in us gives way to the praise of you name. Forgiveness, glory, and honor reside in you only; for you alone are the way, the truth and the life.
Confession: While upon this earth, we will always confess and acknowledged our sins before you. Our iniquities are not hidden from your sight and your forgiveness is esteemed in awe and wonder. So, let all who are godly appeal to you while they may.
For to them, you have stayed the rush of great waters coming to engulf the wicked. To your own, you are a hiding place. You preserve us in times of trouble; and surround us with shouts of deliverance. You instruct and teach us in the way we should go. You counsel us to give us understanding, so we are not like mules—restrained by the bit and bridle.
Thanksgiving: We are thankful O’God, and greatly desire to always stay near to you. Our sorrows are mixed with joy and you have blessed us in the midst the wicked. We thank you with every breath, that we are not our own, forging ourselves to greatness or obscurity.
But in all things belong to you O’Lord our savior, who forged us from the dust and gave twice the breath of life. Your steadfast love surrounds us; we will trust in you alone.
Supplication: Now Father—Lord Savior—Spirit Divine: Give to us your blessings in ways that glorify you and honor your name. Give to us all that we ask which pleases you to give.
May our hearts burn and rise in sweet aroma to your thrown. May Christ be glorified in us, and may darkness flee from his presence. In Christ we pray amen. †
05-08-2022 #166—Sermon Passage, Deuteronomy 4:1-14 “Mother’s Day”
Adoration: O’LORD God, you have only begun to show us your greatness and the power of your mighty hand. For who is like you in either heaven or earth? Who can do such mighty works as you? In power, love and wisdom, you create, preserved and destroy. You decree it, and it is so; our eyes have seen it all.
Though you destroy as you determine, you preserve those whom you love and who love you. We love, because you first loved us. Your perfect love removes all fear of punishment. Whoever fears, does not know perfect love.
If we love you O’LORD, we will listen and do all that you teach and command. We shall live and our worries shall fade into shadows. For your ways are merciful—your statutes are beautiful, good and true. We shall not add to or take away from them.
We hold fast to your every promise—for you O’Lord, are the promise. Every good and perfect gift comes down to us from you. For you are not like man, who is capricious and lies to suit his needs. You do what you say you will, without variation or shadow of change. Your integrity comforts us. And you are never far from us—you keep yourself near.
Out of the midst of the fire—your formless beauty in a voice, declares your covenant to us. Yesterday, today, and forever are in your hands, so we cannot fail. We will take care, with diligent souls; to never forget the things our eyes have seen, our ears have heard and our minds have known.
Through all our days, your word shall never depart from us. In great and fearful reverence, we will keep them and make them known to our children—and to our children's children. That by your will and our faithfulness, they will learn to honor you—and their little-ones to praise your holy name.
With our fathers and mothers true to us—or not, motherly teaching is wisdom; it is precious and true. For she says, “Hear children, heed my advice. Desiring only happiness, the foolish follow where the heart leads; for it wants what it wants. Yet, the heart is desperately wicked. It is deceitful above all things and cannot be fully understood.
But if you trust in the Lord our God, he will bless you. He is the one who searches the heart and knows the mind. He is the one who tests us according to our ways and according to our thoughts, words, and deeds.
For every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him—this, is a matter of life and death. So, in all your ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct your path.
Do not be anxious from desire, and do not give your strength and beauty to a fool. For such, is to be carefully preserved before God. Embrace moderation and cherish honesty and hard work in everything you do… For what you obtained too easily, you will esteem too lightly.
Confession: Confess all your sins and transgressions against the one true God. Ask him for mercy, forgiveness, and cleansing—and he will be faithful to forgive you and restore you. For he delights in truth in the inward being, and he will teach you wisdom in the secret heart. And the bones that he has broken, will rejoice.
But if you say you have no sin, you deceive yourself, and the truth is not in you. For God will never despise a broken spirit. A broken and contrite heart—he will honor.
Thanksgiving: Give now thanks to the lord from the depths of your being, and he will uphold you with a willing Spirit. Sing aloud of his righteousness and praise him for his mighty works. Thank him for his kindness, day, and night.
Supplication: Ask God humbly for your every desire; yet, long more that his good will for you, be done. For it is he who formed you in your mother’s womb. It is he who knits together from ancient times, both body and soul, out of his own breath of life.
It is he who spoke and the universe leapt into existence. He will sort things out and restore everything in righteousness—to his glory.” Praise be to God our Father—Son and Holy Spirit—forever and ever, amen. †
05-15-2022 #167—Sermon Passage, 1 Samuel 9-10
Adoration: O’Lord God, our Father—Redeemer and Consoler, how great you are, and how wonderful your ways. You ordain all events for the goodness of your people. According to your knowledge and steadfast will, you govern all things.
Your wisdom, power, mercy, and justice, cover the universe. To the praise of your glory and goodness, your providential care always shows true. Nothing lacks in purpose; for you shape and draw out the path of all things.
In your infinite righteousness, you preside over all creatures and events—nothing escapes your eye. From the greatest to the least, the beginning—to the end, all is in the weave of your tapestry.
Though sin disfigures and diminishes the soul, you have determined its substance, its being—is set. Out of evil you bring good to frustrate its resolve. In flawless wisdom, beauty and power, everything yields—everything outside, melts to wax.
Through Prophets, Priests, and Kings, you have made known your word, so that man can see the way he should go. You rush upon hearts and they are changed. You quell their resistance and save them from your wrath. You turn ugly rebellion into yielding beauty.
Your love, mercy and wrath are all magnificent to the redeemed. Still, others you pass over, and leave them to their own way; for they have stirred themselves to ruin. Though you deliver multitudes from oppression, calamity and distress, many will not believe, but will reject your provisions and make their demands.
For only the foolish say in their hearts “there is no God.” They look upon creation, but see no further. Their resolve is willful and their hearts are shallow. They use only the book of the dead to guide them; for the worthless despise God and all he has ordained. Like their father, they lie, murder and destroy.
Without wisdom, knowledge or righteousness they ridicule those who are greater than themselves. God, Holy and Righteous, has not given them permission to sin; for sinful acts arise only out of the hearts of angles and men. Yet in wisdom and power, he holds them to their demands as a judgment.
So, until the end of all things they feed on the darkness, despair, and havoc of their ways. For the Angle of God has said: “Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy.”
Confession: O’Lord-our God, we confess, repent and rejoice in what you have made of us. For we had lived in contempt of you, despised you and proudly thought: “How can this man save us?” We have been rightly chastised, and now humbly dismayed; for you have saved us from out of our pit.
All of our delusions have faded too naught; never again to reject your great love and kindness. Even now you refine us; you remove the dross from our ways and cleanse us from all that corrupts. You have made the disgraceful, depraved and impenitent—remorseful, righteous and honorable.
Thanksgiving: Thank you Father, for all you have done. Thank you that your almighty power, unsearchable wisdom, and infinite goodness are so thoroughly demonstrated in your providence, that the sinful actions of both men and angels cannot alter your sovereign plan.
Supplication: Father now we ask, deliver your family from the besetting kingdoms of the world; from those who call evil-good and good-evil. Help us to discern every ploy of the Evil-One moving in the hearts of men.
Let us never mistake the dark for light or the bitter for sweet. Come now merciful Lord, gather up your fellowship and bring down your recompense. We ask all things in Christ, amen. †
05-22-2022 #168—Sermon Passage, 2 Cor. 4:1-18
Adoration: Father in heaven, creator, and lover of our souls. In the face of our Lord, is knowledge of you. In the Spirit-of-Mercy, you are gracious to your children. You show us compassion throughout the torrents of our sorrows.
Your Word encourages us, so we shall not lose heart. Even as the malice of the world rejects you and us in its midst, your firm foundation holds strong around us. For amidst all this fallenness, you are shaping a new creation, and it aches to come forward—to envelop the darkness.
So, neither money, approval or power motivates our service to you; for we are impoverished, despised and meek. As the sun rises and sets, our bodies wither down, but our souls grow stronger and more robust. For in beauty, power and truth, your word enriches us.
We shall not weaken, compromise, or diminish it. It shall not lack in its flavor—bitter to some and sweet to others. You have not cheapened the cost of righteousness and nor shall we.
Still, many refuse to believe. Their god—the shadow of the world, blinds and makes deaf the unbelieving soul. So, they turn away from the light of the gospel—of the glory of Christ, who is the very image of God. They offer up no resistance to their Captor, but join with him—and perish.
What we proclaim is not from the imagination but from the One who said “Let there be light,” and the darkness fled. He has done the same thing within us. And this light is Christ, who has made us his servants.
It is the light of the knowledge of God’s glory, in the face and life of Jesus Christ. So, this is the treasure we hold and yet give away; for it is God’s treasure and he gives it as he pleases.
Though we may be stricken, mystified, mistreated, and put to death, we are never crushed, we are never hopeless, we are never desolate and we are never destroyed. For the Lord himself raised us up and shall do so again. We speak what we believe because it is proven and trustworthy, and we do not lose heart, for we sit with Christ at the side of the Father.
Confession: Still, we confess O’Lord our present weakness. The strength of our lives is not in our bodies—for they are withering grass and falling flowers, nor is it in any other fleeting thing, for the souls of the elect, unseen-and-eternal, you hold close. So, our trust in you is our confession; we need no other comfort.
Thanksgiving: Our thankfulness—is the banner of our camp. In all circumstances we give you thanks. That your will in Christ Jesus be done, is the cause of our gratefulness.
For you in him are our strength and shield; our help and the source of our trust. So, in prayer, praise, and proclamation, we give the thanks of grateful hearts.
Supplication: Give us now, we pray, even more sufficient trust. Bring us daily an insight into the weight of your glory, that we may show true every word you have written upon our hearts. Help us to maneuver throughout this broken world. Guide us in the way we should go and protect us from the assaults of the evil one.
And may the light that you have created in us, dispel the darkness, and the salt you have given to us flavor the bitterness. We do not desire any other glory than that of Christ.
For the Spirit you have given us, glorifies him, and in him you are glorified. In Christ and for his sake, we pray, amen. †
05-29-2022 #169—Sermon Passage, Psalm 127:1-5 “Unless the Lord…”
Adoration: Father almighty, Savior, and Spirit of fellowship, you have built your house—the house of God and the people of God. The city you have built is yours to cover-over and care for. You shepherd your beloved, give them sleep in your presence and clam their restless souls.
For you O’God in Christ, have created all things in heaven and earth, whether visible or invisible. No ruler or authority can stand apart from your sufferance; for all things are created through you, by you, and for you.
You are in heaven—you do as you please—you always do good. Even as you endure the evils of man and give him over to himself, your goodness and mercy come down from above. It flows over all the earth.
The world and all that is in it, belongs to you. From before our salvation, you keep watch. And in the hour you have set, you move—you renew and you restore.
So, from the valleys, we lift-up our eyes to the hills and see from where comes our help. It is from our LORD, maker of heaven and earth. You O’Lord, will not let us fall, for you watch over us day and night. You are our keeper and your right-hand shades us from the burning sun.
By grace, you keep us from our own evil. We cannot wander far. In our going out and our coming in, you keep us. Many are the plans of our hearts, but it is your purpose that always prevails. Even what will happen tomorrow, is a mystery to us.
For what are our lives? We are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. So, in everything we will take comfort. If it is your will, we shall live and do what seems best; but if not, we shall lean upon your grace. For from all eternity your love has set our path.
You have fixed your glory above the heavens. You have revealed your majesty through the weak. Out of the mouth of babies and infants, you establish strength to still the enemy. Come what may, we will declare your mighty acts and righteous deeds.
So, let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let everyone know and proclaim that the Lord—our God, reigns. And he is worthy to receive all glory—honor and power. For it is he who created all things—by his power they were created and in him alone—they have their being.
Thus, even the children you have given us, will stand with us against the enemy. For you O’Lord have made it clear, that the fight is not ours alone. Without you, we are lost, but with you, even death is finished-evermore. From those you have adorned in grace, you remove disgrace and sorrow.
You wipe away the tears from every shinning face. Now and in that day, we sing: “This is our God—our Lord in whom we have trusted. He proves himself forever and saved us in his glory; rejoice in his salvation.”
Confession: We confess our sins O’God and our trust in your mercy. We confess our dependance upon you and your kindness to us. Our confessions strengthen our resolve to love and obey.
Thanksgiving: So, as we look about to our circumstances, we are thankful moment-by-moment and day-by-day. You have given us what we cannot afford. Our hearts are content in your care.
Supplication: We ask now for the sake of Christ, help us to endure in our sorrows, and to suffer well the insults, hardships, and misfortunes of a fallen world. May your strength be magnified in our weakness. May we persevere in Christ alone, amen. †
06-12-2022 #170—Sermon Passage, 1 Samuel 11-12
Adoration: Lord God, our Father—Redeemer and Comforter: you are Eternal—Immortal and Invisible. You alone are God—living and true—perfect and unchangeable. Life and truth reside in you and so, all who are in you.
There is no god before you and none to ever arise. For you are the One who is high and lifted-up, who inhabits the eternal realms and whose name is Holy; God Almighty—Father—Son and Spirit.
You have told us clearly, that you dwell in the high and holy place. Your army—the hosts of heaven, with those of contrite and humble spirit, dwell with you. For you restore the spirit of the lowly, and embrace the penitent heart.
You will not contend with some-men forever, nor will you always be angry with them. For you know their spirit—and the breath of life which you have made, would grow faint within them.
So, you make peace with those who are far away and with those who are near. You break the bones of the chosen, yet you heal them—and make them immortal.
But not so with the wicked, for they are like the tossing sea that will not be quieted. Its waters heave-up the muck and mire to cover the land that you have made. For the wicked do not want peace—nor shall peace be given to them. They have their god—the king of the pit. The yoke they wear—they have placed upon themselves. It holds them close to what they love.
So, we shall heed your warnings O’God, to not make a treaty with the them when we lack courage or have no insight. Our lives O’LORD are in your hands. You have warned us saying: “Those who give themselves to the enemy—become like them. For if you capitulate, if you yield even one step, sit at their table or wink at their idols, their ways, like mud—will capture your feet.
For their god greatly desires to turn-you at the core—to have the soul that I have made; and to disgrace Me through you. They desire to break through the thicket—which separates us-from-them.
So, do not weep but kindle a righteous anger. Do not be afraid or tremble before them, nor embrace their ways for the sake of peace. For the Lord your God, the only true KING, goes with you and will not fail or forsake you.
Therefore, be on the alert, for I am that I am is your hammer and your weapon of war. I am the One who saves and I am the One who destroys. So, bring up strength and courage from the depths of your souls which I have made and which I have shaped. Let your ways be courageous. Be watchful—stand firm—hold fast and trust me.”
Confession: Hear now O’ LORD our confession of repentance, you are the Witness against us. We have forsaken you, sinned against you, been dishonorable and lifted-up, corrupt kings and immoral rulers. For we are yet prone to be aimless and imprudent. Though in our distress we have turned-back to you.
We confess now O’LORD our reliance upon you. May our confession, repentance and obedience be as one thing in proof of love. For if we profess every godly-truth but that one-thing that the world hates, our confession in Christ is false.
If we flinch at that one-small-point, everything falls asunder. Our loyalty is no longer confirmed, and our flight from the battle enfolds us into the world to prove our departure.
Thanksgiving: We are so thankful to you Father. Because of your love and kindness to us, we shall not be put to death. To our great rejoicing, you have worked salvation in us. We are grateful that for your name’s sake, you have made a people that you will not disown.
We thank you for your justice and your mercy; and that you will come with vengeance and recompense—and to save your own, all for glory of your name.
Supplication: We pray now Father, instruct us daily in the good and right way, remembering all that you have done—that we should never forget to praise you. May our respect, reverence, and awe of you—prove true by our service and trust in you.
And may the wicked be swept away with their kings. For where the battle rages, there the loyalty of the soldier is proven. So, help us to be steady on all the battlefield; that we may be solid on all fronts; and courageous in Christ—who goes before us and stands behind us. In all things, help us to be true. In the almighty name of Christ we pray, amen. †
06-19-2022 #171—Sermon Passage, 1 Samuel 12:15-25
Adoration: O’Father our God, Lord of heaven and earth, Creator and Sustainer of the universe and all that is in it: glory and honor and power be to your name now and forever.
You are our Father and our God and have given us one-Lord and one-Savior—Jesus Christ; through whom we exist, and in whom we live and have our salvation. You are worthy O’Lord. You alone are holy. Who will not fear you and glorify your name? …Only the fool in his heart…
For if we do not exalt you, if we are ambivalent to your commands and neither serve nor obey your word, we will have silenced your voice in the noise of our rebellion. What we think will go well for us, will not. For your hand will be against us and against our leaders whom we have chosen.
There is great wickedness but it has no power like the wrath of God—which rips asunder every element, every high-place, and every throne. Before the eyes of rebels O’God, you send mayhem—unrest and ruin so they may see that it is you and not them, who is the measure of all things. You sweep the worthless and their empty rituals into the void.
So, we lift up the great things that you have done for us O’LORD. And if our hearts are contrite, even though we have added to our sins, if we cry out to you for mercy, turn to you and aside from our ways—you are faithful to forgive us, and to be our God.
For we are the clay, and you are the potter. We are the work of your hands and from your holy dwelling, you surround us with peace, hope and kindness. Father to the fatherless and Protector of abandoned souls, you have shown us compassion and made us into the brood of your kingdom.
Confession: So, we will not fear to confess our sinful weakness, but shall strive to daily reform. We know we cannot justify our failures, nor restore our own brokenness with meaningless works. Nor can we afford your salvation or give you some recompense for your mercy.
Thanksgiving: Yet, in our daily gratitude, in our words, deeds and thoughts, we will give thanks for all circumstances which come by your will in Christ Jesus. We are in your care and are content in you O’Lord, and that your holy name and nurture rests upon us.
You have overwhelmed us with your surpassing grace. May our thanksgiving be an offering of tender hearts which you have tempered; for you are good and your steadfast love endures forever. So, we will not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer, supplication, and thanksgiving, make our requests known to you, O’God.
Supplication: We pray, strengthen us, that we will serve you with all our heart, mind and soul. Keep us vigilant to never turn aside at any point or threat of peril.
Keep your great name upon our heads to prove to the world, that you have made us for yourself, a people like you, who will not compromise. Help our unbelief fade into naught and embolden our compassion for others.
May we serve you faithfully, always considering the great things you have done for us. Sweep away the wickedness of our hearts as we praise you this day and, evermore in Christ, amen. †
06-26-2022 #172—Sermon Passage, 1 Samuel 13 “The Danger of Self-Importance”
Adoration: O’LORD our God, how can we grasp the weight your goodness or the depths of your kindness. Our understanding is shallow and our hearts are encumbered. We are vapor and dust.
That we speak and you hear us, that you know our minds and hearts as they are, is all beyond our comprehension. That you are merciful to us and give us the good and right way, is a delight to our souls. Your light illuminates our minds so we may know you better.
Your Word restores creation that man has diminished and ruined. You set an eternal course for us. It is a path we cannot fathom and a journey beyond our reckoning. Everything the redeemed heart desires, is found in you.
For you are Holy, and though we were hopeless, you gave yourself to us as a treasure we cannot hide. You join with us and our confusion lifts to clarity; our misery and sorrow fade to joy. Our brief—momentary lives ascend into permanent—everlasting substance.
We are no longer what we were, nor yet, what we shall be. To keep your commands O’LORD is a sweet obedience. It is to meld within you and know you with gentle and lowly heart. You are the rest and ease of our souls. Your word surrounds and stands before us, so we will fear no man or angle.
For men dread other men when they do not fear God. In his pride he thinks himself the only measure of power, and that whatever he chooses will stand unopposed. He has not considered the danger of his ways, for everything he holds dissolves into mist.
And though the enemy assemble their forces against us, our retort is this: “There is but one God and no other. Heaven and earth are his and every man is a vassal who owns nothing but his sin.” For God alone shapes or leaves alone the hearts of men. It is an impenetrable mystery.
Confession: Our confession then O’ Lord is of you. For you have loved us and formed our being. You have saved us from wrath deserved. We know how—by Jesus Christ. We know it is for your glory. But as to why us, we have no insight. You have restored the image we had tarnished with sin.
Until we are perfected O’God, hear our confession of repentance as we struggle daily against ruin. You alone are our only comfort in life and death. We are not our own, but belong to you both body and soul. For you O’Christ our faithful Savior, have paid the price in blood and torment.
Thanksgiving: Thank you O’LORD: you have freed us from the power or our cruel adversary. You watch over us, that not a hair can fall from our heads apart from your will.
O’Father in heaven, thank you for working all things together for our good. Thank you for changing hearts and minds and opening eyes and ears for salvation. Thank you for the assurance of eternal life and for making us sincere, willing, and ready, now-and-forever, to live for you and to bring you glory.
Supplication: We ask in Christ, O’ Father, that all you have planned for us—comes now to pass. May your salvation to the final-multitude be complete. Still, help us in our fight to argue your case wisely and compassionately. Keep us humble in our defense but bold in our stance.
Let us speak truth in love, that by your power, rebels abandon their fight—to become brothers and sisters among us. We pray, Come Lord Jesus—judge and restore all things for your glory, amen. †
07-10-2022 #173—1 Samuel 13 Pt. 2 “The Danger of Self-Importance”
Adoration: Father in Heaven—our Savior Lord—Holy Spirit our Comforter, you O’God are holy, almighty, and all-knowing. For those who are called according to your purpose—according to your love for them and their love for you, you work all things together for good.
You have pledged to carry us to a land of rest and beauty—where you dwell—and we shall gain. Our hearts are poised on the precipice of the already and not-yet, between here and there. So, we watch and wait; and trust in you, in the mystery of this place.
For you are with us in our sojourn. And you have readied us for the passage, saying: “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
How true it is that the heart of man plans his way, but you O’LORD determine his steps. For though the mind of man makes many plans, it is always your purpose and verdict that stands. No power of evil can withstand your fury or resist your commands.
No temptation uncommon to man, can overtake your chosen. For you O’God are faithful. You restrain enticements beyond our ability to resist, and you give us in that moment—an escape. From the very heart of glory, you give us a spirit not of fear, but of power, love and self-control.
Through dark night or bright day, your guide to us is the fruit we shall eat. And you charge us this: “Be strong and courageous, do not be frightened or dismayed, for I am with you wherever you go. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble; so, do not be anxious about tomorrow. For I am your light and your salvation, the stronghold of your lives, so, whom shall you fear, of whom shall you be afraid?”
O’LORD, when the cares of our hearts are many, your solace cheers our souls. For you have given us peace; not as the world perceives it in moments, but such that our hearts, at their depth, will not be troubled, neither shall we fear what might come tomorrow.
Confession: And we have two confessions, first as it was: that before your kindness was cast upon us, selfish ambition and conceit was our way. We lacked humility and found no joy in counting others more significant than ourselves.
The pride we held out before us, that we clothed ourselves in, brought us only disgrace. We treated the humble as foolish, weak and beneath our wise review. The fruit of death was our food. Had we been meek before you, we would have known that you exalt the humble and raise them high above the stars.
Yet, now our confession is of you our God—our savior from the wrath we have earned. That you have redeemed us from our sins and transgressions is a kindness beyond our grasp. You alone have humbled our proud hearts and given us harmony with one-another. You alone have given us all that we could not have otherwise obtained or imagined.
Thanksgiving: So, we give now all thanks to you, our God. You alone are God—perfect in love, justice, and mercy. You have taken our burdens upon yourself and sustained us in righteousness, never to be withdrawn.
How thankful we are for all you have done, are doing and shall yet do. May the gratitude our souls show in our obedience—the sign and test of our love.
Supplication: We pray now O’God, equip us to love better, to stand firm, be merciful and humble. To live the opposite of those who love their self-importance. May we embrace all that is lowly and pure of heart. And may we live right-side up in the upside-down.
And if we for a moment think ourselves wise for what we have done, chastise us as little children who have wandered into danger. Keep us also compassionate, kind, meek and patient in the impatient world. Increase our faith we pray, that we will love you with all our heart, soul, strength and mind, and our neighbor as ourselves.
These things and more, we pray for your sake O’LORD, amen. †
07-17-2022 #174—Sermon Passage,1 Samuel 14:1-23 “It May be”
Adoration: O’Sovereign Lord—our God most high. You are our shield, great and awesome; our strength and avenger; the judge of all the earth and only true God.
You are the God of peace, who, when your enemies make war, you decimate them, even as your grace and mercy is lavished upon your friends. And you nourish the chosen with the Bread of Life and the fruit of the True Vine. You surround them in holiness and companionship. The Eternal Spirit of life enfolds them as his little ones.
You are God—our God, so, we will be strong and courageous and do the work. We will not be afraid or discouraged, for you O’LORD are with us. You will not fail or forsake us, so, we will not fear the enemies of our God, nor shall their threats and clamoring-noise frighten us.
We shall stand firm and let nothing move us. We will give ourselves fully to doing what must be done; for we know that you will set nothing before us in vain. And the valor of a few, will give rise to courage in the hearts of the cowardly and fearful.
So, we shall go bravely—with mettle and daring; for our triumph is through you O’Lord, and nothing can hinder you. Whether we are few or many, we are knit together in heart and soul. If you O’God, direct our feet and our hands in battle, who can stand against us?
You set the path of the arrow and spear and guide them to their mark. Whatever the enemy does—shall seal their fate. Their own evil craft will betray them, and cover them over as a crashing wave.
Before the sword of the Lord, their confidence will wither into panic and confusion and their arrogance will melt into fear and trembling. They stand on threshing floor of God.
But you O’LORD are our shepherd, so we lack nothing. You comfort us with good things that refresh our souls. You guide us along the right path for your name’s sake.
So, whether in a deep darkness or on the field of battle, we will fear no evil, for you are with us; your rod and your staff, comfort us. You bless and anoint us in the presence of our enemies. Your goodness and love follow us all of our lives. For we dwell in your house now and forevermore.
Confession: Let then our confession be heard in all the earth and in the heavens above: We belong to God and he belongs to us—we are his and he is ours. We are strong in the LORD and his mighty power.
The Lord is our God, so, we shall not be put to shame—nor fear disgrace, humiliation or even death. For we will no longer dwell in futility and shame, wondering “from where shall come our help.” Our help comes from the Lord our keeper, who made heaven and earth. It is he—to whom an accounting must be given.
Thanksgiving: Thank you O’God for your goodness and love to us which endures forever. Because of your righteousness, we will sing praises of thanks to the name of our Lord, Most High.
Thank you for training us in both the gentle and courageous way; and proving that it is your sword of ferocity which concours, even by the hands of your servants.
Supplication: O’Lord we pray, be our shade and our right hand. Watch over us day-and-night and keep our hearts from all evil. Keep our lives close to you as we go-out and as we come-in.
Be our strength and shield from this time forth and forevermore—in the name and for the sake of Christ, amen. †
07-24-2022 #175—Sermon Passage, Psalm 46
Adoration: O’God—Father—Savior and Comforter, you are our fortress, our refuge and our strength. Who can stand before you? Who can say to you: What are you doing? For you always do what is right and good. You are always with us and for us. Nothing can take us from your mighty grip or remove us from your presence.
LORD, your enemies are our enemies. In their depravity they will not stop what they are doing. They will not choose a right path. And when your anger is stirred and you are put to the test, you will be exalted. In the midst of their ruin, you will be feared!
For in times of assault and strife, you stand with your people. You are their refuge and strength. You make them your dwelling place; a city on a hill. You are their sanctuary of meeting and worship. The city you have founded, stands on holy ground. It cannot be overcome or diminished by those who bring siege and despair.
So, lest we fail to trust in you, we shall not fear the quaking earth or the roaring sea. They are but wild nations and stumbling empires. We will not consider a different course, for you are our heritage and our Way. So, we will tread boldly out—over the high and low places, for it is you who inhabit our steps.
It is you who see through our eyes and inform our thoughts. You make your case to the world through deed and word—mercy and judgment. You bring the good news of reconciliation and of the end of war.
Yet still, at the center of conflict with its ramparts of rage, your city will not be moved or shaken. You break the flashing arrows. The shields, swords, and weapons of war are crushed into dust.
The fire of your vengeance engulfs the land of your enemies and you melt the earth with an utterance. The voice which creates life and beauty, tears asunder the vile and decaying.
You stay all warfare. At your reproof, both rider and horse fall stunned. Their spears, bows and tools of war, break in their hands. The stouthearted are stripped of their spoils and sink into sleep.
For you arise to establish judgment and save the humble of the earth. You remove the clamoring noise. The stillness and silence declare you—Most High, true and only God.
The rivers and streams of your glory flow from your holy abode to bring gladness and joy to your people. You are always with them; for they are the work of your hands.
Confession: Our confession O’Lord is simple: We were like every man, dead in our sins and trespasses—enemies of God. Our inclinations were to always do evil.
But God snatched us from the hoard and made us his own. Not because we were worthy but because he chose to love us and make us into a people and a city that will not fall.
Thanksgiving: Our thankfulness O’God is beyond measure. That we are no longer our own but all that you have made of us in Christ, is extraordinary.
May the proof of our gratitude be clear in our trust and adoration of you O’LORD.
Supplication: Hear us O’Father, we believe—yet help us in our unbelief. You are all that is true and real; help us to master this wisdom so we may see the world as it is.
You are our Sovereign Father and we are your children. Christ is our Lord and there is no other. Through him we live, pray, and have our being—now and forever, amen. †
08-14-2022 #176—Sermon Passage,1 Samuel 15
Adoration: O’Father God—Lord Savior—Holy Spirit our comforter: Your goodness and purity O’God are beyond our grasp, yet they have become our delight and our shield. Day and night, we cannot but ponder your beauty and enigmatic ways. That you are merciful to some with eternal-love and dole-out wrath in recompence to others, gives us pause.
For at length your splendor and glory arise and we are silent with awe and wonder. The contemplations of our hearts and minds have captured us. To see fury, mercy, righteousness, and love flowing parallel, has shown us the Way to your thrown.
It is you who are at the core of the settlement we enjoy. All who are with you shall dwell in safety. Your compassion for us is greatly more than we have imagine or afforded.
You bring truth and justice to bare upon the deviant and the guilty. You right all wrongs and make straight the crooked ways. You reject those who reject your Word; who instead, hear only what their hearts and other voices offer.
You despise presumption against obedience. For it is not out of careful reasoning, but out of rebellion and aberrant desires to make the pieties of evil—seem good. So, the proud and defiant will have no ascension, nor a proxy for their sins.
They oppose you O’God at every turn and they scoff at your mercies. You give them good things which they disfigured and misshapen. Clear things are made opaque and honorable things—repugnant. The straight things, they have twisted, and they do everything that should not be done.
For ruin and depravity have spread across the earth, waring against it and its people. Its flowing decay overwhelms everything it touches. It goes from parent-to-child and man-to-beast. Both body and spirit dissolve beneath its weight. It permeates the realm, and even the ground cries out for redemption.
So, we shall vow daily to not take their wares, ornaments, or symbols into our homes. For to accept their ways is to embrace corruption. And, we shall not give quarter or safety to what you, O’God, have devoted to destruction.
Your wrath upon the proud and defiant, who destroy the innocent, is also goodness and mercy to the world. For you O’God are holy, exquisite and pure. Everything you have created is good, and all that you do is righteous. If we know its meaning at all, it is you have opened our hearts to see it.
To love you is to trust in you, and to listen and obey you are our greatest of offerings; all other actions are less.
Confession: We confess O’Lord that we struggle against sin. For even though you always give good things to us, sin is relentless, nagging and always at our door.
We confess the pride we have had distracts us from all that you are. We confess our desperate need of your goodness, grace, and mercy and of your pardon of sin in Christ—our very source of life.
Thanksgiving: Thank you O’Good Shepherd for laying down your life for your sheep. Thank you, for granting to us all things pertaining to life and godliness.
You O’Lord have redeemed us from our unexamined lives and given us the gift of faith in you. You called us out of war and despair into your home of peace, hope and glory.
Supplication: May the adoration of our hearts show in our honest yearnings to worship and honor you O’God. May we exalt you at the center of your goodness. May our esteem of you and our obedience increase daily and bless you infinitely.
May we fully desire to know you fully and to enjoy you forever. Keep us from consenting to anything you have forbidden. Help us to yield and obey. Make us now as our Lord is, forever and ever.
These things we pray through Jesus Christ—our Savior, amen. †
09-11-2022 #177—Sermon Passage, 1 Samuel 16
Adoration: Lord God, you are Alpha-and-Omega. The first, and greatest of all beings. The creation sings the praises of your glory.
True prophets declare: “Give homage to the LORD, for He alone is God.” The Son—our Lord says, “See Me, see the Father.” Your Holy Spirit gathers close your beloved—the souls of the house of heaven—little ones under your wings. Glory be to God forever and ever.
Above the heavens and into the deep, on the earth and under it, your glory is displayed with brilliance. It blinds the eyes of darkness and rips asunder the fabric of rebellion. For you are the LORD—God Almighty—most high.
You proclaim to every creature: “I am light of the world, in me there is no darkness. Whoever follows me cannot walk in darkness, for the light-of-life indwells them. My word is a lamp to show the way—a light for their path. I alone have immortality, for I dwell in unapproachable light which no one has ever seen or can see.
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness cannot overcome it. I am the Lord, and there is no other, besides me there is no God; I equip you, though you do not know me, that people may see, from the rising of the sun and to its setting, that there is none besides me; I am the Lord, and there is no other.
I form the light and create darkness; I make well-being and create calamity; I am the Lord, who does all these things. I do not choose as men choose and no one is my counselor. I do not look on appearances; for I see clearly all that is in the heart. Those who love me, do as I command. They shall live well before me and before others.
They will see the darkness clearly, hate-what-I-hate and love-what-I-love. For I know well their joys, their sorrows, and their desires. They shall not embrace grief, nor be anxious about tomorrow; for they know that I have held and yet hold today, tomorrow, and forever close to me.”
Confession: Lord we confess that you are God alone, our God our savior and our comforter. Our trust is in you; yet our resolve is weak and our need of assurance—is constant. We confess to you our weaknesses and look to you for our strength. Though we are people of the deep, we are too often moved by what lies on the surface.
Thanksgiving: Thank you O’Lord, for drawing our hearts away from the shallows of life into the depths of your love and the heights of your wisdom. Thank you for enduring our constant wavering. Thank you for directing our strewn-about thoughts into reasoning.
Thank you for training us, for helping us to consider our words and our actions carefully, to not abruptly spill-them-out as an injury you will not approve.
Supplication: We ask O’Lord, remind us moment-to-moment, morning-to-evening of your majesty and of the birth-rights you have showered upon us.
Sanctify us, Father, help us to be people of valor; and at war—to be skilled beyond the enemies of our God. Help us to have dignity and presence, and to be careful in our speech and our actions.
For you are God most high, LORD of Lords and King of kings—and you have born us into the world as your body, the image of the living God on the fields of battle. May Christ our Lord be glorified in all that we are and all that we shall be, amen. †
09-18-2022 #178—Sermon Passage, 1 Samuel 17/Gen. 3:14/Rom. 5:12-21
Adoration: O’LORD God, you have made us in your image. The wonder of our being is from your very hand. Though in Adam we have all sinned, with tarnished and diminished souls, and as our reward—the sting of death; in mercy and grace you have set us apart in Christ—to be redeemed, restored and healed to abundant life.
For in him dwells the fullness of God and through him all things on earth and in heaven are reconciled to God. Making peace for many by the blood of his cross, he is the head of the body—the church. For he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, and so, preeminent in all things. In him, all things hold together and have their being; for all things belong to him.
So, who is this, who draws up a line of battle on the land that God has made, to make war against the house of glory? Who is this that stands in the presence of the Living God, spuing forth the vomit-of-defiance morning-and-evening? Let our hearts not fail because of them. The fight they bring, is less than what they shall receive. The armies of God will meet them face to face, and return to them twice their own violence.
For the mountains on which they stand and the valleys in-between belong to the LORD. The gods of the enemy are as chaff in the hands of the Living God. God’s man-of-war shall give an answer to those who defy him. With consuming fire, they will be driven from the land that God has given. In terror they will flee into the darkness from which they came. But destruction will follow them wherever they go.
For the LORD delivers his own from the hand of his enemy. He is with them in the small and great battles; for the victory belongs to him even before an arrow or spear is launched. For it is he who directs them to their target; from the hand of his warrior, to the heart of the enemy, all will pierce through, and find their mark.
Confession: Our confession of sin O’LORD is before you. You see all of them clearly. Yet, you justify those whom you love, removing their sin in mercy and grace irresistible. So, if our repentance is true, our faith proves rooted in you O’Lord. For your word is living and active, a sharp two-edged sword that pierces to divide soul, joints, and marrow.
You discern the thoughts and the intentions of our hearts; nothing is hidden from your sight, and all shall give an account. Yet because we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, we cannot but hold-fast our confession of faith, and enter our rest.
Thanksgiving: Father we are so thankful, for you loved us before we were; you brought us into being and redeemed us in Christ by your covenant of Grace.
Thank you for the peace of Christ you have given to rule in our hearts and to gather us into one body.
Thank you for your goodness and your steadfast love that endures forever.
Supplication: And though we are unrighteous on our own account, we can give good gifts to our children when they ask; so how much more, when we ask, are the good gifts from your hand O’Father.
So, in our prayers and our appeals O’LORD, we ask: Heal our hearts further from the damage of our own sins, and the hearts of those whom we’ve sinned against. Heal our bodies from the things that have ravaged them. Help us to believe amid doubt and confusion—to pray and not lose heart.
Help us to daily recall your love for us while-we-were-yet-sinners; for which Christ suffered and died in our place to resolve. We know, even though our words be few, that your gifts are greater than what we ask or comprehend.
Lord, you have enlightened the eyes of our hearts to see the hope which you have given us. You have called us to grasp onto the riches of your glorious inheritance, that we might enjoy you and your love for us forever. This is the immeasurable greatness of your power toward those who believe.
Our hope, our trust, and our expectations rest with you alone O’God. Glory be to you our Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and forevermore, amen. †
09-25-2022 #179—Sermon Passage,1 Samuel 17/Gen. 3:14/Rom. 5:12-21 Part 2
Adoration: O’God our Father, Lord Christ our Savior, Holy Spirit our counselor and comfort; we worship you—O’Triune God. We look to you for every need in this life and the life to come. Only fools say in their heart, “There is no God.”
Their corruption and vile deeds—prove no goodness in them. You O’LORD, look down from heaven upon the children of man, to see if there are any who understand and seek after God. But no—they have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is not even one who does good.
Turn us O’LORD in the way we should go—watch over us and move mightily within us O’Holy One. You rightly and gloriously hate the sins of both angles and man. The Evil-One you have cursed forever, crawls in the dust—on his belly—and yet prowls around like a roaring-and-ravenous lion; constantly looking for someone to devour.
From his abode of darkness, he spreads delusion, division, strife and death. With deep animosity for all that is holy—all that is righteous and all that is true of God—this Father of lies—our adversary—searches, schemes and murders. More delusional than when first his pride appeared, he fights a war which is already lost.
For you O’LORD have frustrated, crushed and ruined him. His head is under your foot; yet his children make war against the children of God. Like their father—they want what he wants and hate what he hates.
From the shadows and in the shallows, they do whatever wrong they can conceive. They despise and defy God, and so too, the people of God who stand against them.
All that is pure and established by God’s word, they have twisted to deceive the ignorant. They are ravenous dogs against all who oppose them. But we will oppose them upon even at the slightest affront. Upon the line of battle, you O’Lord will not let our foothold move.
For it is you who keeps us, and you neither slumber—nor sleep. So, all the earth will know there is a God and that he is the LORD who saves not with sword and spear—but by the power of his Word, pay them now their wages O’LORD; for the battle belongs to you.
Confession: O’Father we confess our sins and our trust in you to reconcile and restore us to yourself. For though many died through one-man's trespass, many shall live by your grace and mercy in the one-man—Jesus Christ.
Thanksgiving: We, thank you always for your gift to us O’God. For it is not-at-all like the consequence of the one-man's sin—our sin—which brought us condemnation.
Though in-and-of ourselves—worthy of destruction—your precious gift of Christ, the second-man, has brought us righteousness—our justification through love. For though death reigned through one-man's trespass, life reigns through the grace and righteousness of Jesus Christ.
Supplication: We ask now of you Father, keep us vigilant and ready to fight sin however and wherever it desires to have us. Give us always the wisdom to not be deceived and the strength to stand where you have placed us.
Make us to be a vision of Christ to the world, that all the earth may know that you are God—our God, the one and only. This we ask and more, for the sake of Christ and the glory of God almighty, amen. †
10-16-2022 #180—Sermon Passage, 1 Samuel 18
Adoration: Father God—Lord Savior—Holy and Gracious Spirit—to you and you alone O’God, be glory, honor, and power. It is you who sets the course that men shall walk. They make their plans and cast out their nets, but you bring them success or failure, harvest, or famine.
You O Lord are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter. We are the work of your hands. You have knit our souls together from out of mother and father—and we are knit together with brothers and sisters. You have made for yourself, useful vessels; ewers of honor.
Some for righteous use; and yet others which become worthless cisterns; only to be broken and brought to naught—useless for anything but the glory of your judgment.
You have made your covenants with your people, which they have broken; but your covenant in Christ, a covenant of grace and mercy, cannot be ruined or divided.
Because you loved us, you gave us your pledge in crimson—the precious blood of your Son. You have given us white robs, armor, a sword, and a bow, in power and truth; your Word is all of this and yet—much more.
We are your servants and the children you have birthed. Whether we move through the mountains, valleys, shadow, or light, you are with us—we do not walk alone.
It is you who gives us success in everything though it’s not ours to see; for your goals in the hard things are difficult for us to perceive. We know your ways are perfect and ours are driven by desire. But you give us pause, introspection and remembrance, that we would turn back to you daily.
For we are poor and have no standing. Who are we that you would be so kind? Who are we that you should love us? Our enemies pursue us continually but you make your name highly esteemed in us. You watch over us, that honor and peace would be our food and purest water our drink.
The snares the wicked set for us, become their own entrapment, for you have foreseen them doing their worst, and always restore us out of the midst of ashes.
Confession: Our confession O’LORD is offered daily and your kindness to us is our deep desire. For like a theater performance, our sins are ever before you, both material and immaterial—they are always played out on our mortal stage.
We cannot say we were unaware of these acts; for they emerge from the heart, yet from the same spot they are suppressed and despised. Your forgiveness is our only hope. Restrain our hearts from sin O’LORD.
Thanksgiving: Our thankfulness now and daily, is laid at your feet O’God of glory. Your covenant in Christ is our final station.
Thank you for the gift of faith, to have trust in you has set us free. And we bind our gratitude to you in promise and hope. For you are the source of our courage, strength, and forbearance.
Supplication: Grant us now Father all that you command of us. Give the grace and strength to obey and live our lives as you have directed. Help us to see that our trust, which is our faith, is not proven by our deeds but by your love for us.
That nothing we can do makes it more valid but we conform all to things in love. We pray this in and by Christ, amen. †
10-23-2022 #181—Seromn Passage, 1 Samuel 19 Life & Promise Preserved
Adoration: Glory to you O'Father God, O'Savior and Devine Councilor. The earth and stars tremble at your voice. The mountains fall and the Valley's rise at your bidding.
Who is there that can stand against you? Only in delusion and utter bankruptcy does one lift himself up in the world you have made. For your mighty hand is upon all things—in—below and above the world.
The heavens and earth are the gardens you have planted; and you sustain it all by the power of your will. You have founded life and set the path of all that lives. Nothing is in the hands or your creatures but their own sin, rebellion and pride. These are the winds and the waves moving their vessels across a darkened sea.
In light you observe every dark corner. You see every soul both righteous and unrighteous and watch over your elect—the sheep of your flock. Life—promise and preservation are your mercies to them and cannot be disarrayed.
Neither an evil spirit or the foolish actions of men can ruin what you have shielded. Nothing overcomes your blessed. Nothing can move the foot you have set down.
For every soul, those in the depths of Sheol and those at its heights, are in your hands. Though your little one’s wander, they will do as you command. The spears and arrows of the disobedient are launched against them in vain for they will not find purchase.
And if your Spirit comes upon them, even the worthless will utter prayers and praise to you, and warn one another of what is to come. Their strength and self-control will succumb to you and their hostility will fade into submission.
For you shall strip them of all they have and humiliate them in their foolishness and futile striving. Their aggressions will be humbled before your chosen.
Confession: Lord God hear now our confession, for we were among the scoffers and worthless hoard. With heart or sword, we have shed innocent blood and fought without cause. We have tread upon the holy and given ourselves to sin. But now, our old ways are gone.
You have brought light into darkness and given us new life, preservation, and hope. You have forgiven us and restored us by promise and covenant. We had no power to do even the smallest of good, for you alone are good and have covered us evermore in robes of purity.
Thanksgiving: Glory and thanksgiving forever is all we can give. The exercise of our trust in you, speaks our words of gratitude. To obey your commands O’God is to show you our hearts as you have made them now.
That our inner and outer lives prove true before you, are a small thanks, but nonetheless our humble return.
Supplication: Now Father we ask, see us before you as we are. Help us in our unbelief and remind us always of your covenant in Christ to us. Give us quiet hearts amid disquiet.
Help us to see through the disguises of the world and to know with comfort, that you are God and there is no other. You will see us through all things in Christ. For his sake we pray; amen. †
10-28-2022 #182—Sermon Passage, Rom. 1:16-17 + related “Reformation Sunday”
Adoration: O’God of glory—righteous and true, author of our faith—redeemer of souls and reformer of hearts once lost to ruin. You O’God have not abandoned your people to the dark, but are the light on the path you have forged.
So, we shall follow where you lead, for you alone are the way the truth and the light. Nothing can stop or shame us in our march forward; for to everyone who believes, salvation by the power of God has come.
Those in right standing before you O’Father, trust in all that you have given them to trust in. By your power, in love, mercy and grace you give life everlasting—the message of salvation. You bring the good news that floods over the earth; it is powerful, kind, and true.
You sift through every claim and thought of those who use your name; who add to or take away from your word as they please. They distort it to satisfy their sins. When your church wanders, and your word is compromised, you cleanse it. You preserve for yourself the remanent—the humble in heart.
You give faith that faith will be true—the gift of eternal life. You give direction from morning-to-evening. Christ lifted-up, is founded in all who believe, not with self-righteousness by works of the law, but by Christ’s perfect righteousness through faith.
O’God, you made our Lord—who knew no sin, to become sin for our sake, that in him we might to you by his grace, and beauty. In love, he was lifted up from the earth to draw all people to myself. So, our souls are turned upright within us to live by faith and righteousness.
Confession: LORD God, we confess that our faith is true if it is truly our trust in you. If it is sincere, it has grown from the seed you planted. The seed contains everything the plant becomes. So, we shall nurture it with humble care; and add to it only what you give us: that we should trust; hold fast, and believe in you.
We confess that it is you who proves our faith true and us who find it daily. Our sins and imperfections are always before you but it is Christ whom you see. It is he who has satisfied the law and we who enjoy its end.
Thanksgiving: Thank you O’LORD for our Savior. For the law we cannot follow, will not now condemn us. Thank you for our salvation through faith, which you have birthed in us in Christ, from start to finish.
Thank you O’God for molding and remolding our minds and hearts daily. Thank you reforming all our foolish ways into wisdom. Thank you for capturing our naked and wandering hearts and clothing us in perfection, purity and purpose.
Supplication: Now O’God we ask, keep us true in all that we say and do. Hone our minds and hearts to be as sharp as they might. Help us to make right judgments and to weigh all things by your word. Help us to be compassionate for the lost and dying and uncompromising in the face of threat or demise. Keep us we pray to the narrow path.
That Christ might be our all in all—the champion of the battle and the perfection of our faith, we pray, amen. †
11-13-2022 Robert Elliot: #183—Sermon Passage, 2 Thes.1:1-2
“In a hostile world, it matters who God is”
Adoration: Praise and glory to you O’God our Father, to Jesus Christ our Lord and to the Holy Spirit our Counselor and Comforter—Almighty God.
O’LORD, by your command, all things were created in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible; for you are before all things, and in you, all things hold together. You rule over both great and small. You are our refuge, our strength, and our help. You are present in our troubles, our joys, and our sorrows.
So, we shall not fear. Though all the earth give way beneath us and the mountains fall around us, we shall not stumble. Though the world is lost and dying, we will trust in you—and out of your holy city, your provisions for us.
For you are in our midst. You comfort us at mornings’ dawn and in darkest night. You give us insights that the world cannot know. At the sound of your voice, the righteous rise-up to glory and the wicked melt down into emptiness.
You have shown us that anguish and desolation are the fruits of disobedience. But joy and gladness—all the fruits of Love, are there in submission. For in obedience, love and a trusting heart are proven.
Your people will do all you command. They will move in step with the hosts of heaven—or they will wait, keep still and watch. For you are our God and we serve no other. You are our only Prophet—Priest and King—and we shall exult you O’LORD in all things.
By your command O’God, all war ceases. You break the bow and shatter the spear, your burn with fire every effort of the enemy. Their means of war are turned to ash. Yet you are our shield and our fortress. For you have established one Savior in new covenant—the old has vanished.
You have written your laws on our hearts and in our minds. You have been merciful toward our iniquities and you remember our sins no more. So, while we have our being, we shall sing praises to you O’God.
We shall not trust in ourselves, nor in others; not in things, nor in deeds, nor in anything that perishes. You alone are our salvation. You alone have the words of life. You alone are our God.
Confession: So, LORD God, hear our confessions and know our hearts; our sins against you are ever before us; yet your mercies are ever upon us. We confess that our hope and trust rest in you only.
You are the maker of heaven and earth; forever trustworthy and faithful. You feed the hungry and judge the wicked. Every creature is under judgment and all righteousness is by your mercy.
For the world and all that is in it, belong to you. You open the eyes of the blind and lift up the lowly in Christ. In justice, you bring the wicked to utter ruin.
Thanksgiving: We thank you now and forever O’LORD, for you have cleansed us from our sins. From out of the world, you chose us—a people for yourself and forgave us our iniquities.
By mercy and grace in Christ—you made your desired—righteous within him. Thank you for being ours and making us yours. You are God—our God—and there is no other.
Supplication: So, we ask now Father: Help us—and use us as you gather in all of your beloved.
Walk with us and in us and be always our mighty shield. Break the weapons of the enemy and bring yourself glory upon glory. Move the immovable soul that is blind to sound reasoning and soften the hardened and wayward heart.
Heal us and our beloved purely for the sake of your fame. It is in and for Christ, who reigns forever and ever, that we pray—amen. †
11-20-2022 #184—Sermon Passage, 1 Samuel 20:18-42 “Affirmations & Arrows”
Adoration: Blessed Father in heaven, Jesus Christ our Lord, Holy Spirit our consoler—O’LORD, our LORD, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens and your splendor is around us day and night. Out of the mouths of babies and infants, you establish strength; you still the enemy and silence the avenger.
When we look upon your heavens, the work of your hands, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?
Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You have given him dominion over the earth and have put all things under his feet.
We shall evermore recount your wonderful deeds, rejoice in you and enjoy you forever. For you sit upon your throne to give both righteous judgment and unmerited favor. You sustain your people and prove your love to them over-and-over.
For their sake, you rebuke entire nations and make the wicked to perish. You blot out the names of your enemies forever and ever. The very memory of them will pass into the abyss of endless ruin.
For you O’LORD sit enthroned forever. You judge the world and every being in righteousness. Those who know you, put their trust in you; for you, O’LORD, will never forsake anyone who truly seeks you.
You never forget the cry of the afflicted and you avenge them all in due time. The enemy stumbles in your presence; they turn back only to perish from the face of the earth.
But you O’LORD have set apart your chosen—given them promise and hedged them in for their good. So, we shall not sit at the table of evil doers, nor join in their causes. For all their ways lead to death.
The fruits of their deeds are poison. And though there is but a step between us and death, we shall not fear, nor die but once. May you take swift and final vengeance on your enemies, O’LORD.
Confession: Father we confess: we know what we have done, and what we are guilty of. For we too were once dead in our trespasses and sins. We once followed the course of this world and the spirit of disobedience.
Like the rest of mankind, we lived only by our passions and desires, by nature—wayward children of wrath. Our Spirits were poor and proud, but you—O’God are humble and rich in mercy.
Because of the great love with which you loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, you made us alive together with Christ. By grace through faith, we have been saved.
And this was not our own doing; but by your gift to us of regeneration and faith. For we are your craftmanship and we take comfort in your great mercies to us.
Thanksgiving: With whole heart; mind and body, we are thankful to you O’God. Our thankfulness shows in our trust in you; in everything you have done and are about to do.
We thank you forever; for you redeem lost souls and restore broken lives. You reveal our adversary and make him cower in darkness and delusion. You deliver us from evil in the heart of desolation and affliction.
You give your people abundant and eternal life in Christ. So, O’LORD, may our deep-deep appreciation bless you ever more,
Supplication: Father, now we humbly ask for your blessings and every mercy you might grant. For all good things come down from above.
So, we ask not only for provisions and healing, but also for strength and wisdom to stand against every offense you have warned us of: Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, shedding innocent blood, a divisive heart that makes a wicked plan, feet that rush to do evil, lying and bearing false witness and sewing discord among brothers.
May our efforts to do as you have taught us, be out of love rather than rule. Make us true-disciples in every thought—word and deed we pray: for we are in Christ and he is in us.
Your wonders O’God are the greatness—power—glory and majesty in heaven and earth. Yours is the kingdom forever and you are exalted above all things, amen. †
11-27-2022 #185—Sermon Passage, 1 Samuel 21—"Seeking Sanctuary”
Adoration: LORD God—our Creator—King of heaven and judge over all, both great and small: We shall always bless you O’LORD and continually praise you by our mouths and in the vaunts of our souls.
So, may the humble hear and rejoice with us; may the watchful see and the doubting trust in you O’God of mercy. In fellowship, let us as one, magnify you, our God. We shall exalt your holy name in all that is common, as in the extraordinary, in all that is gradual and steady, as in the sudden and unforeseen.
You are always with your people. O’LORD, you answer our cries and delivered us from our fears. For you make radiant the faces of those who look to you. They are not alone and shall never be put to shame. You hear the poor and rescue them in their troubles.
Your beloved Angel makes his home with your chosen—to watch over them. His wrath and anger destroy worlds; but his beloved taste and see, that God is good. Those who fear you, take their shelter in you and lack for nothing—not one good thing.
Only fools will not desire life, goodness, and peace. Only a fool says: “There is no God.” That: “Man is the measure of all things—of things that are…and things that are not…” But the wise who love you O’God keep their tongues from speaking evil and deceit—with hearts focused on your mercies. They turn away from evil. They desire life, seek goodness, and pursue peace.
For your eyes O’LORD are upon the righteous and your ears hear their cry’s. Your face is against those who do evil, you shall cut off the memory of them from all the earth. In mercy and kindness, you stay near to the brokenhearted and rekindle the crushed in spirit.
Though the righteous suffer affliction in the world, you redeem their lives. None who take refuge in you are condemned. You deliver them out of the world into the hearth of peace. But the wicked are slain by their afflictions. They make war against the righteous and are condemned in their hatred.
Confession: O’LORD hear our solemn confessions and forgive us when our resolve turns weak—when our troubles have overwhelmed us, and we forget in whom our trust and our peace reside.
The world knows our sins but cannot know our remorse, nor the restitution paid. For the Lord has lifted-up our souls to you O’God; the God of our salvation.
May then our enemies not gloat over us, nor put us to shame. For all who wait on you O’LORD will not be disgraced; but the unfaithful and proud will suffer their due wage.
Thanksgiving: Thank you Father for choosing your beloved ones. Thank you, Lord, for standing in our place, to do for us what we could never have done. Thank you, Spirit, for applying your mercy and grace to us in Christ.
With thankfulness in our hearts: We shall do whatever we do, in word or deed, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ—giving thanks to you our Father, through him—our Savior.
Supplication: O’Lord, now we ask: Keep evil outside our doors and within where you dwell. Make us to always know your ways and show us daily the path to walk.
Lead us in truth and teach us all things; for you are the God of compassion—knowledge—wisdom and salvation. According to your steadfast love restore us always for the sake of your goodness.
Help us to be holy—kindhearted—humble—meek and long-suffering. Bind together all the virtues of heaven within us. Let them always be in perfect array. We pray this and all other things in Christ our Lord, amen. †
12-18-2022 #186—Sermon Passage, 1 Samuel 23 “Fleeing to the Rock of Escape”
Adoration: Father in heaven, we bless your holy name—our Lord be pleased and Holy Spirit delighted. Hear the praises of our hearts and mouths flowing upward to your thrown. Our souls are now risen with Christ—the rock of our escape.
Certainly, we shall indeed boast of your endless deeds and in the power of your mercies. Let all humble souls rejoice together and magnify you O’LORD. With the holy angles, we applaud your Kindness, Power and Beauty.
Through all our difficulties, we seek you O’God; to find wisdom, comfort and guidance. You always deliver us from our confusion and fear. When anxiety is great within us, your solace brings us joy. You save us by your mighty hand and justify us by your great love. You give your strength to dwell in us and your ear to listen to the cries of our hearts.
You subdue the hateful-minds against us; who set themselves above your glory; who love war and hate peace; who call evil good and good evil. In your very presence, they made themselves your enemy and ours. Though lost in delusion, you shall be a dread to them, a sword that cannot be stopped.
Still, what can flesh do against us? All day long they work to injure our cause; all their thoughts are evil in your sight. The adversary and his children proudly set up camp on holy ground—and declare victory. They advocate strife, despise the righteous and lie in wait to murder the innocent. But will they escape from their crimes?
No. For you will surely enter their camp—even as they sleep—and return to them either mercy or justice. For by their own hand, they have secured their judgment and measure of price. By your faithfulness O’God, you will put an end to them. Surely you will put an end to the stranger in your house.
But to us in Christ, you are our helper and the upholder of our lives. You are gracious to us and are with us in our sufferings. For you have delivered us from every trouble, and our eyes see now and shall yet see your triumph.
So, we shall not fear but put our trust in you O’God. Day and night we will ponder your words, teach them to our children and remember your great deeds of compassion. It is in you we trust; so, we shall not dread the moment.
Confession: O’Lord, now we confess that we have neglected to pray for the reclamation of souls—our enemies in flesh. Were we not as they are now and yet you loved us in our rebellion?
We declare to know righteousness but confess that we have practiced it poorly. We confess our poor memories of how you saved us from certain death and gave us eternal life. We plead guilty to every charge against us and fall before you, always desperate for your mercy.
Thanksgiving: O’Lord, accept our offering of thanks by the truth of our vows and the openness of our hearts. You have delivered our souls from death and kept our feet from falling. By your grace and mercy in Christ, we may walk before you in truth and in the light of life.
Supplication: O’God, we pray now for our enemies: May you renovate and possess them as you have us. May we yet fight the battles before us with fervent hearts, the armor you have made and the sword you have forged.
We ask Father be the God of those who worship the darkness, who have exchanged their souls for the pleasures of the world they love and for all the corruptible things for which they have given their souls.
May we take root downward to bear fruit upward. Be our lamp day and night. Give us compassion and wisdom to discern our every thought and word as we move through these dark valleys. This and more we ask for the sake of Jesus Christ, our Lord, amen. †
Adoration: O’Glorious God—Father and Savior, Comforter of your people whom you have chosen and formed—body and soul. You have created all people—with minds, intellectual skills, and hearts which you alone understand. Many go their own way, doing as they please and all that seems right to them.
They say in their hearts: “We have what we need; we are full and we are wise.” They joyfully torment the poor and gracious of heart. But certainly, it is them who are desolate, their pride blinds and robs them. They do not and will not desire what is right.
Yet, in love and mercy O’God, you lift-up the weak. You know their hunger and anxiety. Through their weeping, you hear their vows and pleadings; and you remember them in due time. All that you grant—is for your glory. All that you do—is for their good. Instruments of your power—you dwell within them.
So, you establish your house O’God; its foundation is set in the eternal hall, where all that was, is and ever-shall-be—resides. You prepare and send your people to where you are. Judgment, grace, and mercy flood over their iniquity. They are the seed, the promise, and the image you have given the world. In them, you build your house over the ages, and it stands forever.
And the mouths of the chosen speak and sing your praises. The refrain echoes from heaven over the hills and the valleys of all creation, saying: “Do not break God’s covenant; for his ways and his Word are over-and-above the dreams of man. He guides our wayward thoughts into focus and he calms our restless hearts. Our bent toward misdeed is averted for he has done great things for us. Glory to God on high.”
Confession: Hear then our confessions O’God, our sins are ever before you and we despise our rebellions. For you O’LORD are in the right-actions and deliberations of your people.
Through the images and shadows of history, you have proclaimed the truth in love, and so must we. Yet still the war rages and we shall not be complacent against the lures of the world. We will not acquiesce to provocations or even threat of death. For you have weened us from the world and established your word within us.
Thanksgiving: So, who knows the Lord, knows to thank him. And we thank you O’Father, for you have heard your servants and remembered their pledges, their burdens are in your hands.
You have rescued our barren and destitute hearts—so we sing: “God has heard and God has granted.” Our gratitude in chorus, shines into the darkness and evermore throughout the heavens.
Supplication: We pray now: May our worship and sacrifice please you. We ask all things of you in trust and confidence. For our understanding is shallow, but nothing is hidden from you. And we know you love us and always give us a double portion.
Give us resolve when provoked. Help us to endure the testing and enticements of the Evil One, for you are more to us than any treasure in life. Our faces are no longer sad, for we are in your presence O’LORD and shall dwell there forever.
In Christ, who is all in all, we pray, amen. †
01-16-2022 #157—Sermon Passage, 1 Samuel 2:1-11, “Hannah’s Prayer”
Adoration: O’LORD God, we are triumphant in you, our hearts are satisfied, our strength and our peace are in your hands. Be then exulted in your people. Rejoice in them O’God, as they do in you, their savior.
For your enemies are surely our enemies, they do not even rise to our ridicule. They mock your holiness, and your hatred for them is a holy and pure hatred.
Those who will not bend a knee, show themselves for who they are. Their hearts are proud. Their pompous talk is swollen with pretense and deceit. They are more than satisfied with themselves.
Their stronghold is vanity and their comfort is arrogance. They build their homes upon the sand and expect them to last. When they fall, they are amazed. They have fooled only the foolish, for God protects a humble heart.
You have quieted our minds O’LORD, to understand you when you speak. Your voice is familiar to us and your beckoning is welcomed. You are the Foundation of our Fortress. In the light of truth, O’God we see where you are leading, and follow.
You know our deepest desires, for you love our souls and have reshaped our innermost being. Our solace is in your covenant—the promise and joy of peace, beauty, and love.
There is none besides you O’Great God; for none but you are holy. There is no other Rock where man’s soul may anchor, for no other mooring will hold. In your presence, every proud word will fade to a murmur and fold in upon itself. Every understanding will dissolve to dust, in view of your knowledge. For you weigh all worldly wisdom and find it amiss and wanting.
But your word neither withers nor fades. It breaks the bows of the mighty but strengthens and satisfies the weak and hungry. It brings them forth to life, out of the dust and ashes.
The lowly are dignified and lifted high; for their God—is God alone. He gives and takes life, he builds and destroys empires, he gives and takes fortunes and constantly—searches the heart of man.
Confession: O’Lord, daily we confess our sins to you and daily you forgive us. Some of them have become so familiar that we forget they are with us; yet we still hate them and strive against them.
When we are complacent, they are an enemy who taunts us; but we shall not give in. When we talk proudly or feel the stirring of arrogance rise, we shall remember and confess our lord and savior, and his gracious mercies to us.
Thanksgiving: With thankful hearts O’LORD, we rejoice in your salvation. We have seen your mercy to us in Christ and his grace is our refuge.
Thank you, for you captured our wayward hearts and gave us exile, in the world where we stand. May our gratefulness prove true to you in our every word and deed.
Supplication: Lord we pray now, deliver us from our enemies, evil men and spirits who plan evil things in their hearts and always stir up malevolence.
Protect the innocent and ill-equipped from the proud, for they have hidden their traps and thrown out their nets to capture them. We pray O’God, hear our petitions; search us and know our hearts.
Try us and know our thoughts. If there are any shameful ways in us, remove them and lead us to the way everlasting. In and through the sacrifice of Christ we pray, amen. †
01-23-2022 #158—Sermon Passage, 1 Samuel 2:12-36
“Consequences of Contemptible Worship”
Adoration: O’LORD our God, Maker, and Sustainer of all creation; which you hold-and-bind together, lest it return to naught. Everything exists by your mighty power and great love.
You give a path and movement to the heavens, and by your grace, the earth rides upon its orbit and alignments. With precision, you have set its axis in place, and every creature owes you allegiance.
For even the ignorant know that they move and have their being in you. You give life and goodness to every living being. If they keep quiet and fail to praise you, even the rocks will cry out in acclaim of your glory. For you are worthy of true adoration and honest praise.
As sincere love gives root to natural obedience; so perfect trust illumines mercy, hope and gratitude. For you O’God are worthy of our purest love, our deepest worship and our genuine submission.
You are worthy of glory in the highest order; for you are holy and all things lay in the depths beneath you. You O’LORD hold reign over every circumstance. Every step of man and spirit is ordained by you, either for blessing or for curse.
Even rebellion entails permission, though severe judgment is assured. What man thinks is in his hands, under his foot and in his preview, is only a dream without substance. But those who trust in God hold in gentle grasp on what belongs to him.
For even though a man may proclaim himself to be the measure of all things, he is but dust; whose soul will decay forever. For worthless men do not know the Lord and have no desire to.
They make no search for what they do not want to find. They ignore the customs and decorum’s of heaven and earth. They take what does not belong to them and threaten violence if their demands are resisted.
They do whatever pleases them, and live in contempt of what ought to be esteemed. The blood upon their hands and vestments is unrighteous blood, for they make war against the hallowed with tributes that are profane and disgraceful.
But the robes of the pure in heart are cleansed in the righteous blood of salvation. Their sacrifices are holy and honorable. For God Almighty blesses his beloved and the hearth of their homes are filled with peace.
They delight in his steadfast love and see his scepter of justice enact his wrath. They ponder the ways that are blameless before God and strive to walk with integrity.
Confession: Each one, openly confesses and proclaims: “I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless. I will be careful to live a blameless life. I will rightly hate the works of those who fall away; and will have no part of it. It will not cling to me in any way. A perverse heart shall be far from me and I will have nothing to do with what is evil.”
Thanksgiving: A life of thankfulness outweighs ten thousand words. Silent obedience makes shouts of gratitude, as a whisper.
O’LORD God, hear then the pleadings of the heart which you have shaped anew. Our minds are open before you, and you alone know us fully.
Supplication: Father in heaven, may we always pray in a manner that honors you. May they be in the shape and sound of truth. May your name be hallowed and your will be sought in our every request. May your Kingdom come and your will be done.
Give us our daily needs and forgive us our sins as we forgive others theirs. Lead us away from temptations’ and protect us from the Evil-One. We ask as your people whom you have formed for your glory in Christ forever, amen. †
01-30-2022 #159—1 Samuel 3:1-21 “Heeding the Lord’s Call”
Adoration: LORD God our Father—Good Shepherd—Eternal Spirit our helper: Your written Word O’God is the call. Moving within and without, it is spoken to the world, yet only the chosen discern it, and capture what has happened.
Your true good-word brings bounty; for it is forthright, simple, and clear. It is the only call to life. It commands all of us to repent and place our confidence in you alone. For to whom Lord, would we go, when you alone have the words of eternal life? Yet, to the obstinate, who fight out of prideful hearts, your word is an edict of judgment—that is rightly earned.
But in the child-hearts of both young and old, whom you come to stand with, you have done great things. You have opened their eyes to see your beauty, their ears to hear your melodies and their hearts to settle from war. So, they turn from the battle of discord, lay down their arms, and fight no more.
And in the melodious strain of righteousness, you carry out judgment on those who have despised you from the start. For though you are all around them if they would but perceive, they have made their gods to approve of their ways. For who stops to listen to a refrain they hate and words they abhor?
So, as destinies are set, you call your servants from morning to evening, some two times and others three. Even amid a violent storm you pursue your own with repeated tenderness. Your lamp, lights the path for all who walk it.
So, though all know about you, not all souls yield to you. They know they are guilty and that it will not be removed. So, they suppress its troublesome presence, and say to themselves, “Surely, we will not die. God will not destroy us if we are mistaken.”
But not so the servants of God. For in the temple of the Lord and he rouses them, calling them from their sleep to give them understanding and knowledge the world distains. It is not a weak call they follow but a strong command that they embrace with joy.
It is to arise and proclaim the Word of God. To be a simple prophet, saying that, “the lord and the word of the Lord are inseparable, they are certain and true. The Lion has roared, who will not fear? The Lord has spoken…so we shall speak truthfully, and fear no one who ignores the limits of their knowledge.”
Confession: Our confession is this: “The word is near us; it is in our mouths and in our hearts. It is the word of trust that we proclaim.
For if we confess with our mouths that Jesus is Lord and believe in our hearts that God raised him from the dead, we will be saved.
For with the heart, one believes what is true and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses Christ and is saved.” For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame. For he is One Lord over all, bestowing his riches on all who call upon him.”
Thanksgiving: It is for all this and more, that our hearts are always grateful. Our thankfulness is ever before you.
Supplication: Lord, you have spoken and your servants have heard. May we never fear to tell of all that you have done.
May none of your Words ever fall to the ground but reveal you to heart and mind in Christ, amen. †
02-20-2022 #160—1 Samuel 4-5
Adoration: LORD God of hosts, the armies of heaven stand ready to march; to swarm across the earth and destroy every stronghold. They are loyal, every-one; yet with man, it is not so. If you are with him, one man against a thousand is enough.
For you are like a great fire that engulfs his enemies. He goes out to battle, but the victory is in your hands. When your people humble themselves, you prove your steadfast love.
But if they have no regard for you, whatever they fight, will defeat them. On the field of battle, they will fall, and their prideful banners will burn. Then they will cry out, “Why O’God—why do you not save us from our enemies?” Their downfall is your response, and your silence O’LORD will shock them; for their lives are shallow, and their hearts have turned inward.
They have feigned obedience and become dispassionate in their duties. But you O’God, are worthy of only true love. Yet, they exchanged their love, their faith in you, to trust in schemes and artifacts. They disregarded the One who ordains the outcome, to call upon the power of relics.
Though you have clearly spoken O’God, a fool’s heart is deaf. You have given fair and perfect commands, but the arrogant make their own plans. They plot and organize, but their strategies come to naught.
They trust in their own cleverness, for their conceit has no bounds. Because they have not believed, the enemies’ dark-and-sinister courage—rises. He boldly breaks through to capture, slaughter and destroy.
Yet, where the enemy has lifted-up his false gods, the one-true God, will decimate and dismember it. Where the enemy boasts of his victories the one-true God will strike him mute, deaf, and blind. So, if he becomes courageous in evil, the people of the one-true God, will be twice as courageous for good.
And, to his wayward, disobedient-and-contrary people, God holds out his hands. For unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it, labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. It is in vain that many rise-up early and go-late to rest—and eat the bread of their anxious toil.
They have failed to grasp what is soon to come? For the Kings of the earth, will shut their mouths because of him. What has-not been told to them, they will see, and what they have-not heard, they will understand?
Having the true God, ought not those whom he looks over—trust in him and wait upon him? Ought they not be humble, faithful, and obedient? Ought they not pursue wisdom? How many O’Lord act the role, to have you in their quiver. How many O’God disregard your word—to do what seems right to them?
How many will say on that day: “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy, cast our demons, and do mighty works in your name? And you shall declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ But God gives to his beloved sleep; and they do what is in their Shepheard’s heart. Night and day, they fear nothing, but his displeasure.
Confession: So, the true-in-heart profess their love. They obey, trust and joyfully bow down. When they sin, and in sorrow confess, their LORD is faithful to forgive them and restore them fully.
Having now new hearts, we confess to you Father, that we still wander and fall short daily—yet daily, you bring us back, feed us, hedge us in, and show us your great love.
Thanksgiving: Thank you O’Lord, for watching over us. You discipline us, find us where we hide and comfort us in our distress. You have overwhelmed our adversary and crushed his head.
The line is drawn and we will stand as you have place us. Now and forever—our gratitude is boundless.
Supplication: We ask Father, please deliver us from the Evil-One and crush all arrogance within our own hearts.
Remind us daily, that it is you who go before us; that we have been forgiven in Christ, and must also forgive.
May your commands be our desires—one in the same. And may your will be done on earth through Christ as it is in heaven, amen. †
02-27-2022 #161—Sermon Passage, Titus 3:4-7 “Grace Alone”
Adoration: God, Almighty Father—Christ our Savior—Holy Spirit, reformer of our souls, before the ages began, you promised grace in mercy, justice in truth and beauty in righteousness.
By your trustful Word, you have blessed us with knowledge of the truth. You have created faith within us, that our trust in you would be manifest. It is clear to us, that no-one deserves such gifts.
Your Word O’God affords to us transcendence, purity, and the hope of eternal life. You command: “Put in order what remains,” and so, our course is set. Though even more so, for the leaders you give us, we also will be above reproof.
For whom you save, you also mold into a blameless vessel and a steward of virtue. As such, we will be faithful, true, and devoted to our spouse and children. That by receiving such great virtue, they will desire to be virtuous.
Therefore, cowardice, dishonesty and disobedience will leave our hearts. Arrogance, unjust-anger, greed, and the love of violence, will fall away to humility, self-control, moderation and courage. In all things, be our strength O’LORD.
Holding firm to your reliable word, we love-now sound doctrine, and stand firm against whomever-or-whatever denies it. For you are God, the one who watches over us—and we shall do what you command.
If we are your obedient children, we will not conform to the passions of our former ignorance. But shall be holy in all our conduct, for you who have called us to yourself, are holy. Our thoughts, words and deeds belong our God.
And you implore us, “beware,” for many who claim to love you, are frauds who think wickedly of others. They offer the empty words of their still-stone-hearts, for they are devoted to deception. Nothing is pure in a ruined and unbelieving soul.
They profess to know God, but deny him by their works. They are in fact, unfit for any good works. Their minds and their consciences suffer from corrupted. Yet, the pure in heart, those whom God has redeemed and adorned in Christ, are delivered from ruin.
Confession: So, this is our confession: We are saved by the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior; not because of our works of righteousness, but because of his great love and mercy. It is the Holy Spirit himself, who has washed us.
He has cleansed us in Christ to stand beautiful before the thrown of God. We have been justified by his grace and so, have inherited the eternal life, which only he provides.
Thanksgiving: Thanks be to God on high, to Christ our Savior and to God the Holy Spirit. We give you thanks O’LORD. You are trustworthy and good and your love endures forever. Our hearts overflow with thankfulness, which the world cannot know.
We know full well, that every good and perfect gift, comes down to us from above. For you are our Father, the Father of lights, with whom there is no deviation or shadow of change.
Supplication: LORD, now we pray, help us to know you better. Enhance our minds with even more knowledge of you. Make our roots grow-down-deep into you. Hedge us in and cause our lives to be built solely upon you.
Help our faith to grow strong in the truth of you. Make and keep our hearts entangled-up with yours. Reassure our souls and perfect our thinking. Increase our love and our trust in you through Christ alone, amen. †
03-13-2022 #162—Sermon Passage, 1 Samuel 7 “Repentance and Grace”
Adoration: O’Lord God, High king of heaven, Shepherd of the house of Christ, you are One—we are yours. We do and shall love you, with all of our heart, all of our soul and all of our mind. Your saving words are written upon our hearts. We shall tenderly teach them to our children—talk of them in our homes and on the path as we walk.
When we lie down at evening and rise-up at morning, your word will be on our thoughts and in our bones; for you shape every vessel in which you dwell. Like strings upon our fingers, we will bind your word to us, and attend to it carefully. We will write it on the gates and doorposts of our homes.
Receiving all gifts from above, we’ll ne’er forget who gives them. May the awe and songs of souls, fill the heavens above. For you alone are due honor, glory, and worship. You alone are God; the God of great glory, majesty, and power. We cannot but bend our knees, and bow our heads in utter esteem.
Yet, your enemies, even though you have been good to them, give honor to nothing. They make themselves as chaff on the threshing floor. So, you thunder with a mighty sound and drive them into madness. You subdue and strike them down. You burn them to ash, like the grass of the fields.
Your anger is kindled against those who deal with you falsely. You declare to them: “Go and cry out to the gods whom you have chosen; let them save you in your time of distress.”
Yet, by grace, you save whom you will. You place a Stone in their midst as a witness to them; it is one of peace and forgiveness. It is a Stone of remembrance that cannot be moved.
In the same way, your mercy and grace are before us; you will not remove it. You make us into an alter wherever we go. For you are a jealous and holy God, and there will be no god’s before you.
They were our shame, but with joy, we have cast them out. The old ways no longer guide us. For out of death, and by your decree, you deliver us from our delusions; your wrath is stayed. You have awakened our souls from their sleep, and set us on a narrow path. Out of the house of slavery, a new home has arisen.
Confession: Hear then our confession O’King of glory: Our sins were egregious; we were blind to them. Though now justified, we struggle; for they are ever before us. Yet by faith and repentance, our resistance advances. For you O’Lord, restore what is fallen.
All whom believe, and as you choose, rise-up to walk. By grace, you have given faith to the faithless; the virtues of trust and truth. So, we shall lament no more—our weeping has stilled. What is yours, is redeemed. Whom then we shall serve? You assure us of our standing—and into the battle, we go.
Thanksgiving: Thank you for your saving graces O’Lord. You could have abandoned us to the dismal depths of sin, but you did not. You could have left us to ourselves, but you chose not.
Though our hearts were hard and our thoughts were dire, you showed us mercy and grace. Our souls are ever thankful, O’Lamb of God.
Supplication: We pray now, help us to walk as hallowed, for you have set us apart. Keep us ever diligent, focused on your word, wise to think carefully and humble to follow your directives.
Give us wisdom and patience to wait upon you. Help us to serve Christ in all that we think, say and do. For his sake and ours we pray, amen. †
03-20-2022 #163—Sermon Passage, 1 Samuel 8 “Give us Tyranny”
Adoration: O’Lord our God, you are great, and have blessed our souls forever. Your magnificence is beyond description, for you are enclothed in purest light.
The heavens, like a tent stretched-out across the skies, are a preview of your majesty. In brilliant array, the beams of your chambers are laid out upon the waters. You ride upon the wings of the wind, and make the clouds your chariot.
It is you who have set the earth on its foundations, so that it should never be moved. It is you who destroy, and you who renew the face of the ground. It is you who covered it with deep waters like a garment rising high above the mountains.
You commanded the deep with your voice of thunder, and the waters fled away. You set their boundaries, which cannot be crossed. And the mountains rose and the valleys sank to the places you assigned for them.
You made the springs rush forth to flow between them, and give drink to every man and animal. The birds of the heavens dwell beside them and sing their songs of joy, as you taught them. You cause the grass to grow and you bring forth food from the earth. You give man wine to gladden his heart, oil to make his face shine and bread to strengthen him.
You planted the cedars and the fir trees of Lebanon where the stork and sparrow build their nests. You made the moon to mark the seasons and the sun to rise and set in perfect rhythm. You gave the darkness of night, so the beasts of the forest can steal about.
The young lions roar and stalk the prey you have placed before them. When the sun rises, they go back to their dens to rest. And man goes out to do his work until the evening; he moves across the earth to subdue it, and every creature fears him.
O Lord, in wisdom, you have you created all things; your works are all-embracing. Every living thing, both great and small, depend on you to feed them. When you open your hand, they are filled with good things. When you hide your face, they are dismayed.
When you take away their breath, they die and return to the dust. You look upon the earth and it trembles. You touch the mountains and they smoke. For you are not a King who takes what is not yours already. You do not need man to serve you, as though you were in want. All the earth and all its beauty, is yours. Yet in his rebellion, man’s sin has diminished and tarnished it all.
He has blinded himself and made his heart a source of madness. He has rejected your glory, for the fleeting vapors of the world. You make him a judge for righteous sake; but in wickedness, he perverts justice and does what ought-not be done. He deceives and insults the innocent and pure of heart. In his corruption and love of profit, he takes what is not his.
Confession: We confess O’God, how much like them, we are. We are prone to want worthless things, and to reject you for the slightest reason.
We confess our erratic ways and our need to repent.
Thanksgiving: Thank you O’Lord for being long suffering. Thank you for loving us in our foolishness and saving us, even during our acts of rebellion and of discarding what is precious, beautiful and true.
Supplication: We pray O’LORD, may you rejoice in your works, and in those who love you. May all our ways be pleasing to you.
May we choose your glory over that of the world; and rejoice in you forever. Glory to God on high and Jesus Christ our Lord, amen. †
04-10-2022 #164—Sermon Passage, Matt. 21:1-11
Adoration: O’Lord, Messiah, King of Jerusalem—King of heaven and earth, King of all creation—Humble Conqueror—Liberator of your people.
A voice has cried out in the wilderness, “Prepare the way of the Lord; make straight his way in the desert. Every valley shall be lifted-up, and every mountain and hill, made low. The uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places—smooth. The Lord has spoken and revealed his glory; it is hidden from no one.”
And the word became flesh, and dwelt in our presence. He stirs the waters in the “House of Mercy” and makes the springs of Gihon flow into the city. He enters through its gates, upon the foal of a donkey—a beast of burden.
As the Prophets have said: “Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised in the city of our God! His holy mountain stands high and beautiful. It is the joy of all the earth. Within her strongholds, God has made himself known as a fortress. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”
Has it not been told to you from the beginning? Have you not heard? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth? It is he who sits above the circle of the world; its inhabitants are like grasshoppers.
It is he who stretched out the heavens like a curtain—like a tent to dwell in. It is he who brings princes to nothing, and makes the rulers of the earth fall like chaff. In him, the LORD has declared comfort to his people, their warfare has ended. Their iniquity, though great, is pardoned by the hand of the Lord.
This Jesus of Nazareth, is the long-awaited promise of God. Expect no other; let no one deceive you—it is he. So, let us then spread out our cloaks—our prayer shawls upon the road; for the promised Messiah has come.
He has traveled far from his home. Cover his path with green palms, for he is worthy. Let them quell the dust—our High Priest has come; the fruit of the palm has ripened.
Praise, honor, and glory belong to him, for he is the Lord-of-lords and King-of-kings…and there is no other. Rejoice and celebrate his victory. All the earth be glad, and sing a new song to the LORD. He is good and all that he does is good.
Confession: Listen to him O’stubborn of heart, confess you sins and repent. For all flesh is grass, and its beauty is like the flower of the field. When the breath of the Lord blows on it, the grass withers, and the flower fades; but his word stands forever.
Behold, the Lord God comes with power, and his reward is with him. As a shepherd he tends his flock, and gathers his lambs to his bosom.
Thanksgiving: Thanks, and praise be to our God. All the nations are empty and less than nothing before him. For he alone restrained the waters in the hollow of his hand and he alone marked off the heavens with a span. He enclosed the dust of the earth to give it its portion.
He set the hills in balance and weighed the mountains on a scale. So, who can measure the Spirit of the LORD, or advise him on how to proceed? Give him praise and thanks O’man, for Justice, knowledge and understanding belong to him.
Supplication: Lift up now your eyes on high, and see. Make your requests known to him who creates, names, and upholds all things. Not one thing is out of place. He does not faint or grow tired; but gives strength to the weary.
He does not require works to balance the scale, but alone sets it right. All who wait upon him are renewed, and he sends his messiah, our savior, to gather his little ones. Lay out your life before him and worship him forever, amen. †
04-22-2022 #165—Exodus 34:5-7 “Christ Alone”
Adoration: LORD God, this day and forevermore, we praise your holy name. From the rising of the sun to its setting, we praise you. You have made known your name and declared your righteousness to all creation. For you O’God are the LORD, sitting high above heaven and earth.
From far above, and from deep within, you examine all the nations and the evil works of man. Yet you are gracious to him and slow to anger. Even in his wandering dullness, you preserve him for your glory.
Who is like you O’LORD? You proclaim your name. You descend in the clouds and stand by your servants. You reveal yourself so that all the earth may know, that you alone are God; LORD of lords and KING of kings. You prove daily to be merciful and gracious. You stay your wrath and your steadfast love abounds in faithfulness.
For iniquities, transgressions and sins, your love stands firm upon the precipice of ruin; as your forgiveness envelops your own. Yet by no means will you justify the obstinate. Upon those who ignore their guilt, deny their shame and hate your name, you will pour out your wrath, and so too, on their children and their children’s children, for generations.
So, who is like the LORD our God? You exact mercy and justice to the praise of your people. You raise the poor from out of the dust. You lift the needy from the ashes and exalt them. You bless the one whose transgression and sin is forgiven. Blessed is he against whom you count no evil, in whose spirit no deceit is found.
To all creation, O’God, we proclaim, your beauty and righteousness; for if we did not, our bones would waste away and our souls would groan in agony. All that is in us gives way to the praise of you name. Forgiveness, glory, and honor reside in you only; for you alone are the way, the truth and the life.
Confession: While upon this earth, we will always confess and acknowledged our sins before you. Our iniquities are not hidden from your sight and your forgiveness is esteemed in awe and wonder. So, let all who are godly appeal to you while they may.
For to them, you have stayed the rush of great waters coming to engulf the wicked. To your own, you are a hiding place. You preserve us in times of trouble; and surround us with shouts of deliverance. You instruct and teach us in the way we should go. You counsel us to give us understanding, so we are not like mules—restrained by the bit and bridle.
Thanksgiving: We are thankful O’God, and greatly desire to always stay near to you. Our sorrows are mixed with joy and you have blessed us in the midst the wicked. We thank you with every breath, that we are not our own, forging ourselves to greatness or obscurity.
But in all things belong to you O’Lord our savior, who forged us from the dust and gave twice the breath of life. Your steadfast love surrounds us; we will trust in you alone.
Supplication: Now Father—Lord Savior—Spirit Divine: Give to us your blessings in ways that glorify you and honor your name. Give to us all that we ask which pleases you to give.
May our hearts burn and rise in sweet aroma to your thrown. May Christ be glorified in us, and may darkness flee from his presence. In Christ we pray amen. †
05-08-2022 #166—Sermon Passage, Deuteronomy 4:1-14 “Mother’s Day”
Adoration: O’LORD God, you have only begun to show us your greatness and the power of your mighty hand. For who is like you in either heaven or earth? Who can do such mighty works as you? In power, love and wisdom, you create, preserved and destroy. You decree it, and it is so; our eyes have seen it all.
Though you destroy as you determine, you preserve those whom you love and who love you. We love, because you first loved us. Your perfect love removes all fear of punishment. Whoever fears, does not know perfect love.
If we love you O’LORD, we will listen and do all that you teach and command. We shall live and our worries shall fade into shadows. For your ways are merciful—your statutes are beautiful, good and true. We shall not add to or take away from them.
We hold fast to your every promise—for you O’Lord, are the promise. Every good and perfect gift comes down to us from you. For you are not like man, who is capricious and lies to suit his needs. You do what you say you will, without variation or shadow of change. Your integrity comforts us. And you are never far from us—you keep yourself near.
Out of the midst of the fire—your formless beauty in a voice, declares your covenant to us. Yesterday, today, and forever are in your hands, so we cannot fail. We will take care, with diligent souls; to never forget the things our eyes have seen, our ears have heard and our minds have known.
Through all our days, your word shall never depart from us. In great and fearful reverence, we will keep them and make them known to our children—and to our children's children. That by your will and our faithfulness, they will learn to honor you—and their little-ones to praise your holy name.
With our fathers and mothers true to us—or not, motherly teaching is wisdom; it is precious and true. For she says, “Hear children, heed my advice. Desiring only happiness, the foolish follow where the heart leads; for it wants what it wants. Yet, the heart is desperately wicked. It is deceitful above all things and cannot be fully understood.
But if you trust in the Lord our God, he will bless you. He is the one who searches the heart and knows the mind. He is the one who tests us according to our ways and according to our thoughts, words, and deeds.
For every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him—this, is a matter of life and death. So, in all your ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct your path.
Do not be anxious from desire, and do not give your strength and beauty to a fool. For such, is to be carefully preserved before God. Embrace moderation and cherish honesty and hard work in everything you do… For what you obtained too easily, you will esteem too lightly.
Confession: Confess all your sins and transgressions against the one true God. Ask him for mercy, forgiveness, and cleansing—and he will be faithful to forgive you and restore you. For he delights in truth in the inward being, and he will teach you wisdom in the secret heart. And the bones that he has broken, will rejoice.
But if you say you have no sin, you deceive yourself, and the truth is not in you. For God will never despise a broken spirit. A broken and contrite heart—he will honor.
Thanksgiving: Give now thanks to the lord from the depths of your being, and he will uphold you with a willing Spirit. Sing aloud of his righteousness and praise him for his mighty works. Thank him for his kindness, day, and night.
Supplication: Ask God humbly for your every desire; yet, long more that his good will for you, be done. For it is he who formed you in your mother’s womb. It is he who knits together from ancient times, both body and soul, out of his own breath of life.
It is he who spoke and the universe leapt into existence. He will sort things out and restore everything in righteousness—to his glory.” Praise be to God our Father—Son and Holy Spirit—forever and ever, amen. †
05-15-2022 #167—Sermon Passage, 1 Samuel 9-10
Adoration: O’Lord God, our Father—Redeemer and Consoler, how great you are, and how wonderful your ways. You ordain all events for the goodness of your people. According to your knowledge and steadfast will, you govern all things.
Your wisdom, power, mercy, and justice, cover the universe. To the praise of your glory and goodness, your providential care always shows true. Nothing lacks in purpose; for you shape and draw out the path of all things.
In your infinite righteousness, you preside over all creatures and events—nothing escapes your eye. From the greatest to the least, the beginning—to the end, all is in the weave of your tapestry.
Though sin disfigures and diminishes the soul, you have determined its substance, its being—is set. Out of evil you bring good to frustrate its resolve. In flawless wisdom, beauty and power, everything yields—everything outside, melts to wax.
Through Prophets, Priests, and Kings, you have made known your word, so that man can see the way he should go. You rush upon hearts and they are changed. You quell their resistance and save them from your wrath. You turn ugly rebellion into yielding beauty.
Your love, mercy and wrath are all magnificent to the redeemed. Still, others you pass over, and leave them to their own way; for they have stirred themselves to ruin. Though you deliver multitudes from oppression, calamity and distress, many will not believe, but will reject your provisions and make their demands.
For only the foolish say in their hearts “there is no God.” They look upon creation, but see no further. Their resolve is willful and their hearts are shallow. They use only the book of the dead to guide them; for the worthless despise God and all he has ordained. Like their father, they lie, murder and destroy.
Without wisdom, knowledge or righteousness they ridicule those who are greater than themselves. God, Holy and Righteous, has not given them permission to sin; for sinful acts arise only out of the hearts of angles and men. Yet in wisdom and power, he holds them to their demands as a judgment.
So, until the end of all things they feed on the darkness, despair, and havoc of their ways. For the Angle of God has said: “Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy.”
Confession: O’Lord-our God, we confess, repent and rejoice in what you have made of us. For we had lived in contempt of you, despised you and proudly thought: “How can this man save us?” We have been rightly chastised, and now humbly dismayed; for you have saved us from out of our pit.
All of our delusions have faded too naught; never again to reject your great love and kindness. Even now you refine us; you remove the dross from our ways and cleanse us from all that corrupts. You have made the disgraceful, depraved and impenitent—remorseful, righteous and honorable.
Thanksgiving: Thank you Father, for all you have done. Thank you that your almighty power, unsearchable wisdom, and infinite goodness are so thoroughly demonstrated in your providence, that the sinful actions of both men and angels cannot alter your sovereign plan.
Supplication: Father now we ask, deliver your family from the besetting kingdoms of the world; from those who call evil-good and good-evil. Help us to discern every ploy of the Evil-One moving in the hearts of men.
Let us never mistake the dark for light or the bitter for sweet. Come now merciful Lord, gather up your fellowship and bring down your recompense. We ask all things in Christ, amen. †
05-22-2022 #168—Sermon Passage, 2 Cor. 4:1-18
Adoration: Father in heaven, creator, and lover of our souls. In the face of our Lord, is knowledge of you. In the Spirit-of-Mercy, you are gracious to your children. You show us compassion throughout the torrents of our sorrows.
Your Word encourages us, so we shall not lose heart. Even as the malice of the world rejects you and us in its midst, your firm foundation holds strong around us. For amidst all this fallenness, you are shaping a new creation, and it aches to come forward—to envelop the darkness.
So, neither money, approval or power motivates our service to you; for we are impoverished, despised and meek. As the sun rises and sets, our bodies wither down, but our souls grow stronger and more robust. For in beauty, power and truth, your word enriches us.
We shall not weaken, compromise, or diminish it. It shall not lack in its flavor—bitter to some and sweet to others. You have not cheapened the cost of righteousness and nor shall we.
Still, many refuse to believe. Their god—the shadow of the world, blinds and makes deaf the unbelieving soul. So, they turn away from the light of the gospel—of the glory of Christ, who is the very image of God. They offer up no resistance to their Captor, but join with him—and perish.
What we proclaim is not from the imagination but from the One who said “Let there be light,” and the darkness fled. He has done the same thing within us. And this light is Christ, who has made us his servants.
It is the light of the knowledge of God’s glory, in the face and life of Jesus Christ. So, this is the treasure we hold and yet give away; for it is God’s treasure and he gives it as he pleases.
Though we may be stricken, mystified, mistreated, and put to death, we are never crushed, we are never hopeless, we are never desolate and we are never destroyed. For the Lord himself raised us up and shall do so again. We speak what we believe because it is proven and trustworthy, and we do not lose heart, for we sit with Christ at the side of the Father.
Confession: Still, we confess O’Lord our present weakness. The strength of our lives is not in our bodies—for they are withering grass and falling flowers, nor is it in any other fleeting thing, for the souls of the elect, unseen-and-eternal, you hold close. So, our trust in you is our confession; we need no other comfort.
Thanksgiving: Our thankfulness—is the banner of our camp. In all circumstances we give you thanks. That your will in Christ Jesus be done, is the cause of our gratefulness.
For you in him are our strength and shield; our help and the source of our trust. So, in prayer, praise, and proclamation, we give the thanks of grateful hearts.
Supplication: Give us now, we pray, even more sufficient trust. Bring us daily an insight into the weight of your glory, that we may show true every word you have written upon our hearts. Help us to maneuver throughout this broken world. Guide us in the way we should go and protect us from the assaults of the evil one.
And may the light that you have created in us, dispel the darkness, and the salt you have given to us flavor the bitterness. We do not desire any other glory than that of Christ.
For the Spirit you have given us, glorifies him, and in him you are glorified. In Christ and for his sake, we pray, amen. †
05-29-2022 #169—Sermon Passage, Psalm 127:1-5 “Unless the Lord…”
Adoration: Father almighty, Savior, and Spirit of fellowship, you have built your house—the house of God and the people of God. The city you have built is yours to cover-over and care for. You shepherd your beloved, give them sleep in your presence and clam their restless souls.
For you O’God in Christ, have created all things in heaven and earth, whether visible or invisible. No ruler or authority can stand apart from your sufferance; for all things are created through you, by you, and for you.
You are in heaven—you do as you please—you always do good. Even as you endure the evils of man and give him over to himself, your goodness and mercy come down from above. It flows over all the earth.
The world and all that is in it, belongs to you. From before our salvation, you keep watch. And in the hour you have set, you move—you renew and you restore.
So, from the valleys, we lift-up our eyes to the hills and see from where comes our help. It is from our LORD, maker of heaven and earth. You O’Lord, will not let us fall, for you watch over us day and night. You are our keeper and your right-hand shades us from the burning sun.
By grace, you keep us from our own evil. We cannot wander far. In our going out and our coming in, you keep us. Many are the plans of our hearts, but it is your purpose that always prevails. Even what will happen tomorrow, is a mystery to us.
For what are our lives? We are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. So, in everything we will take comfort. If it is your will, we shall live and do what seems best; but if not, we shall lean upon your grace. For from all eternity your love has set our path.
You have fixed your glory above the heavens. You have revealed your majesty through the weak. Out of the mouth of babies and infants, you establish strength to still the enemy. Come what may, we will declare your mighty acts and righteous deeds.
So, let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let everyone know and proclaim that the Lord—our God, reigns. And he is worthy to receive all glory—honor and power. For it is he who created all things—by his power they were created and in him alone—they have their being.
Thus, even the children you have given us, will stand with us against the enemy. For you O’Lord have made it clear, that the fight is not ours alone. Without you, we are lost, but with you, even death is finished-evermore. From those you have adorned in grace, you remove disgrace and sorrow.
You wipe away the tears from every shinning face. Now and in that day, we sing: “This is our God—our Lord in whom we have trusted. He proves himself forever and saved us in his glory; rejoice in his salvation.”
Confession: We confess our sins O’God and our trust in your mercy. We confess our dependance upon you and your kindness to us. Our confessions strengthen our resolve to love and obey.
Thanksgiving: So, as we look about to our circumstances, we are thankful moment-by-moment and day-by-day. You have given us what we cannot afford. Our hearts are content in your care.
Supplication: We ask now for the sake of Christ, help us to endure in our sorrows, and to suffer well the insults, hardships, and misfortunes of a fallen world. May your strength be magnified in our weakness. May we persevere in Christ alone, amen. †
06-12-2022 #170—Sermon Passage, 1 Samuel 11-12
Adoration: Lord God, our Father—Redeemer and Comforter: you are Eternal—Immortal and Invisible. You alone are God—living and true—perfect and unchangeable. Life and truth reside in you and so, all who are in you.
There is no god before you and none to ever arise. For you are the One who is high and lifted-up, who inhabits the eternal realms and whose name is Holy; God Almighty—Father—Son and Spirit.
You have told us clearly, that you dwell in the high and holy place. Your army—the hosts of heaven, with those of contrite and humble spirit, dwell with you. For you restore the spirit of the lowly, and embrace the penitent heart.
You will not contend with some-men forever, nor will you always be angry with them. For you know their spirit—and the breath of life which you have made, would grow faint within them.
So, you make peace with those who are far away and with those who are near. You break the bones of the chosen, yet you heal them—and make them immortal.
But not so with the wicked, for they are like the tossing sea that will not be quieted. Its waters heave-up the muck and mire to cover the land that you have made. For the wicked do not want peace—nor shall peace be given to them. They have their god—the king of the pit. The yoke they wear—they have placed upon themselves. It holds them close to what they love.
So, we shall heed your warnings O’God, to not make a treaty with the them when we lack courage or have no insight. Our lives O’LORD are in your hands. You have warned us saying: “Those who give themselves to the enemy—become like them. For if you capitulate, if you yield even one step, sit at their table or wink at their idols, their ways, like mud—will capture your feet.
For their god greatly desires to turn-you at the core—to have the soul that I have made; and to disgrace Me through you. They desire to break through the thicket—which separates us-from-them.
So, do not weep but kindle a righteous anger. Do not be afraid or tremble before them, nor embrace their ways for the sake of peace. For the Lord your God, the only true KING, goes with you and will not fail or forsake you.
Therefore, be on the alert, for I am that I am is your hammer and your weapon of war. I am the One who saves and I am the One who destroys. So, bring up strength and courage from the depths of your souls which I have made and which I have shaped. Let your ways be courageous. Be watchful—stand firm—hold fast and trust me.”
Confession: Hear now O’ LORD our confession of repentance, you are the Witness against us. We have forsaken you, sinned against you, been dishonorable and lifted-up, corrupt kings and immoral rulers. For we are yet prone to be aimless and imprudent. Though in our distress we have turned-back to you.
We confess now O’LORD our reliance upon you. May our confession, repentance and obedience be as one thing in proof of love. For if we profess every godly-truth but that one-thing that the world hates, our confession in Christ is false.
If we flinch at that one-small-point, everything falls asunder. Our loyalty is no longer confirmed, and our flight from the battle enfolds us into the world to prove our departure.
Thanksgiving: We are so thankful to you Father. Because of your love and kindness to us, we shall not be put to death. To our great rejoicing, you have worked salvation in us. We are grateful that for your name’s sake, you have made a people that you will not disown.
We thank you for your justice and your mercy; and that you will come with vengeance and recompense—and to save your own, all for glory of your name.
Supplication: We pray now Father, instruct us daily in the good and right way, remembering all that you have done—that we should never forget to praise you. May our respect, reverence, and awe of you—prove true by our service and trust in you.
And may the wicked be swept away with their kings. For where the battle rages, there the loyalty of the soldier is proven. So, help us to be steady on all the battlefield; that we may be solid on all fronts; and courageous in Christ—who goes before us and stands behind us. In all things, help us to be true. In the almighty name of Christ we pray, amen. †
06-19-2022 #171—Sermon Passage, 1 Samuel 12:15-25
Adoration: O’Father our God, Lord of heaven and earth, Creator and Sustainer of the universe and all that is in it: glory and honor and power be to your name now and forever.
You are our Father and our God and have given us one-Lord and one-Savior—Jesus Christ; through whom we exist, and in whom we live and have our salvation. You are worthy O’Lord. You alone are holy. Who will not fear you and glorify your name? …Only the fool in his heart…
For if we do not exalt you, if we are ambivalent to your commands and neither serve nor obey your word, we will have silenced your voice in the noise of our rebellion. What we think will go well for us, will not. For your hand will be against us and against our leaders whom we have chosen.
There is great wickedness but it has no power like the wrath of God—which rips asunder every element, every high-place, and every throne. Before the eyes of rebels O’God, you send mayhem—unrest and ruin so they may see that it is you and not them, who is the measure of all things. You sweep the worthless and their empty rituals into the void.
So, we lift up the great things that you have done for us O’LORD. And if our hearts are contrite, even though we have added to our sins, if we cry out to you for mercy, turn to you and aside from our ways—you are faithful to forgive us, and to be our God.
For we are the clay, and you are the potter. We are the work of your hands and from your holy dwelling, you surround us with peace, hope and kindness. Father to the fatherless and Protector of abandoned souls, you have shown us compassion and made us into the brood of your kingdom.
Confession: So, we will not fear to confess our sinful weakness, but shall strive to daily reform. We know we cannot justify our failures, nor restore our own brokenness with meaningless works. Nor can we afford your salvation or give you some recompense for your mercy.
Thanksgiving: Yet, in our daily gratitude, in our words, deeds and thoughts, we will give thanks for all circumstances which come by your will in Christ Jesus. We are in your care and are content in you O’Lord, and that your holy name and nurture rests upon us.
You have overwhelmed us with your surpassing grace. May our thanksgiving be an offering of tender hearts which you have tempered; for you are good and your steadfast love endures forever. So, we will not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer, supplication, and thanksgiving, make our requests known to you, O’God.
Supplication: We pray, strengthen us, that we will serve you with all our heart, mind and soul. Keep us vigilant to never turn aside at any point or threat of peril.
Keep your great name upon our heads to prove to the world, that you have made us for yourself, a people like you, who will not compromise. Help our unbelief fade into naught and embolden our compassion for others.
May we serve you faithfully, always considering the great things you have done for us. Sweep away the wickedness of our hearts as we praise you this day and, evermore in Christ, amen. †
06-26-2022 #172—Sermon Passage, 1 Samuel 13 “The Danger of Self-Importance”
Adoration: O’LORD our God, how can we grasp the weight your goodness or the depths of your kindness. Our understanding is shallow and our hearts are encumbered. We are vapor and dust.
That we speak and you hear us, that you know our minds and hearts as they are, is all beyond our comprehension. That you are merciful to us and give us the good and right way, is a delight to our souls. Your light illuminates our minds so we may know you better.
Your Word restores creation that man has diminished and ruined. You set an eternal course for us. It is a path we cannot fathom and a journey beyond our reckoning. Everything the redeemed heart desires, is found in you.
For you are Holy, and though we were hopeless, you gave yourself to us as a treasure we cannot hide. You join with us and our confusion lifts to clarity; our misery and sorrow fade to joy. Our brief—momentary lives ascend into permanent—everlasting substance.
We are no longer what we were, nor yet, what we shall be. To keep your commands O’LORD is a sweet obedience. It is to meld within you and know you with gentle and lowly heart. You are the rest and ease of our souls. Your word surrounds and stands before us, so we will fear no man or angle.
For men dread other men when they do not fear God. In his pride he thinks himself the only measure of power, and that whatever he chooses will stand unopposed. He has not considered the danger of his ways, for everything he holds dissolves into mist.
And though the enemy assemble their forces against us, our retort is this: “There is but one God and no other. Heaven and earth are his and every man is a vassal who owns nothing but his sin.” For God alone shapes or leaves alone the hearts of men. It is an impenetrable mystery.
Confession: Our confession then O’ Lord is of you. For you have loved us and formed our being. You have saved us from wrath deserved. We know how—by Jesus Christ. We know it is for your glory. But as to why us, we have no insight. You have restored the image we had tarnished with sin.
Until we are perfected O’God, hear our confession of repentance as we struggle daily against ruin. You alone are our only comfort in life and death. We are not our own, but belong to you both body and soul. For you O’Christ our faithful Savior, have paid the price in blood and torment.
Thanksgiving: Thank you O’LORD: you have freed us from the power or our cruel adversary. You watch over us, that not a hair can fall from our heads apart from your will.
O’Father in heaven, thank you for working all things together for our good. Thank you for changing hearts and minds and opening eyes and ears for salvation. Thank you for the assurance of eternal life and for making us sincere, willing, and ready, now-and-forever, to live for you and to bring you glory.
Supplication: We ask in Christ, O’ Father, that all you have planned for us—comes now to pass. May your salvation to the final-multitude be complete. Still, help us in our fight to argue your case wisely and compassionately. Keep us humble in our defense but bold in our stance.
Let us speak truth in love, that by your power, rebels abandon their fight—to become brothers and sisters among us. We pray, Come Lord Jesus—judge and restore all things for your glory, amen. †
07-10-2022 #173—1 Samuel 13 Pt. 2 “The Danger of Self-Importance”
Adoration: Father in Heaven—our Savior Lord—Holy Spirit our Comforter, you O’God are holy, almighty, and all-knowing. For those who are called according to your purpose—according to your love for them and their love for you, you work all things together for good.
You have pledged to carry us to a land of rest and beauty—where you dwell—and we shall gain. Our hearts are poised on the precipice of the already and not-yet, between here and there. So, we watch and wait; and trust in you, in the mystery of this place.
For you are with us in our sojourn. And you have readied us for the passage, saying: “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
How true it is that the heart of man plans his way, but you O’LORD determine his steps. For though the mind of man makes many plans, it is always your purpose and verdict that stands. No power of evil can withstand your fury or resist your commands.
No temptation uncommon to man, can overtake your chosen. For you O’God are faithful. You restrain enticements beyond our ability to resist, and you give us in that moment—an escape. From the very heart of glory, you give us a spirit not of fear, but of power, love and self-control.
Through dark night or bright day, your guide to us is the fruit we shall eat. And you charge us this: “Be strong and courageous, do not be frightened or dismayed, for I am with you wherever you go. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble; so, do not be anxious about tomorrow. For I am your light and your salvation, the stronghold of your lives, so, whom shall you fear, of whom shall you be afraid?”
O’LORD, when the cares of our hearts are many, your solace cheers our souls. For you have given us peace; not as the world perceives it in moments, but such that our hearts, at their depth, will not be troubled, neither shall we fear what might come tomorrow.
Confession: And we have two confessions, first as it was: that before your kindness was cast upon us, selfish ambition and conceit was our way. We lacked humility and found no joy in counting others more significant than ourselves.
The pride we held out before us, that we clothed ourselves in, brought us only disgrace. We treated the humble as foolish, weak and beneath our wise review. The fruit of death was our food. Had we been meek before you, we would have known that you exalt the humble and raise them high above the stars.
Yet, now our confession is of you our God—our savior from the wrath we have earned. That you have redeemed us from our sins and transgressions is a kindness beyond our grasp. You alone have humbled our proud hearts and given us harmony with one-another. You alone have given us all that we could not have otherwise obtained or imagined.
Thanksgiving: So, we give now all thanks to you, our God. You alone are God—perfect in love, justice, and mercy. You have taken our burdens upon yourself and sustained us in righteousness, never to be withdrawn.
How thankful we are for all you have done, are doing and shall yet do. May the gratitude our souls show in our obedience—the sign and test of our love.
Supplication: We pray now O’God, equip us to love better, to stand firm, be merciful and humble. To live the opposite of those who love their self-importance. May we embrace all that is lowly and pure of heart. And may we live right-side up in the upside-down.
And if we for a moment think ourselves wise for what we have done, chastise us as little children who have wandered into danger. Keep us also compassionate, kind, meek and patient in the impatient world. Increase our faith we pray, that we will love you with all our heart, soul, strength and mind, and our neighbor as ourselves.
These things and more, we pray for your sake O’LORD, amen. †
07-17-2022 #174—Sermon Passage,1 Samuel 14:1-23 “It May be”
Adoration: O’Sovereign Lord—our God most high. You are our shield, great and awesome; our strength and avenger; the judge of all the earth and only true God.
You are the God of peace, who, when your enemies make war, you decimate them, even as your grace and mercy is lavished upon your friends. And you nourish the chosen with the Bread of Life and the fruit of the True Vine. You surround them in holiness and companionship. The Eternal Spirit of life enfolds them as his little ones.
You are God—our God, so, we will be strong and courageous and do the work. We will not be afraid or discouraged, for you O’LORD are with us. You will not fail or forsake us, so, we will not fear the enemies of our God, nor shall their threats and clamoring-noise frighten us.
We shall stand firm and let nothing move us. We will give ourselves fully to doing what must be done; for we know that you will set nothing before us in vain. And the valor of a few, will give rise to courage in the hearts of the cowardly and fearful.
So, we shall go bravely—with mettle and daring; for our triumph is through you O’Lord, and nothing can hinder you. Whether we are few or many, we are knit together in heart and soul. If you O’God, direct our feet and our hands in battle, who can stand against us?
You set the path of the arrow and spear and guide them to their mark. Whatever the enemy does—shall seal their fate. Their own evil craft will betray them, and cover them over as a crashing wave.
Before the sword of the Lord, their confidence will wither into panic and confusion and their arrogance will melt into fear and trembling. They stand on threshing floor of God.
But you O’LORD are our shepherd, so we lack nothing. You comfort us with good things that refresh our souls. You guide us along the right path for your name’s sake.
So, whether in a deep darkness or on the field of battle, we will fear no evil, for you are with us; your rod and your staff, comfort us. You bless and anoint us in the presence of our enemies. Your goodness and love follow us all of our lives. For we dwell in your house now and forevermore.
Confession: Let then our confession be heard in all the earth and in the heavens above: We belong to God and he belongs to us—we are his and he is ours. We are strong in the LORD and his mighty power.
The Lord is our God, so, we shall not be put to shame—nor fear disgrace, humiliation or even death. For we will no longer dwell in futility and shame, wondering “from where shall come our help.” Our help comes from the Lord our keeper, who made heaven and earth. It is he—to whom an accounting must be given.
Thanksgiving: Thank you O’God for your goodness and love to us which endures forever. Because of your righteousness, we will sing praises of thanks to the name of our Lord, Most High.
Thank you for training us in both the gentle and courageous way; and proving that it is your sword of ferocity which concours, even by the hands of your servants.
Supplication: O’Lord we pray, be our shade and our right hand. Watch over us day-and-night and keep our hearts from all evil. Keep our lives close to you as we go-out and as we come-in.
Be our strength and shield from this time forth and forevermore—in the name and for the sake of Christ, amen. †
07-24-2022 #175—Sermon Passage, Psalm 46
Adoration: O’God—Father—Savior and Comforter, you are our fortress, our refuge and our strength. Who can stand before you? Who can say to you: What are you doing? For you always do what is right and good. You are always with us and for us. Nothing can take us from your mighty grip or remove us from your presence.
LORD, your enemies are our enemies. In their depravity they will not stop what they are doing. They will not choose a right path. And when your anger is stirred and you are put to the test, you will be exalted. In the midst of their ruin, you will be feared!
For in times of assault and strife, you stand with your people. You are their refuge and strength. You make them your dwelling place; a city on a hill. You are their sanctuary of meeting and worship. The city you have founded, stands on holy ground. It cannot be overcome or diminished by those who bring siege and despair.
So, lest we fail to trust in you, we shall not fear the quaking earth or the roaring sea. They are but wild nations and stumbling empires. We will not consider a different course, for you are our heritage and our Way. So, we will tread boldly out—over the high and low places, for it is you who inhabit our steps.
It is you who see through our eyes and inform our thoughts. You make your case to the world through deed and word—mercy and judgment. You bring the good news of reconciliation and of the end of war.
Yet still, at the center of conflict with its ramparts of rage, your city will not be moved or shaken. You break the flashing arrows. The shields, swords, and weapons of war are crushed into dust.
The fire of your vengeance engulfs the land of your enemies and you melt the earth with an utterance. The voice which creates life and beauty, tears asunder the vile and decaying.
You stay all warfare. At your reproof, both rider and horse fall stunned. Their spears, bows and tools of war, break in their hands. The stouthearted are stripped of their spoils and sink into sleep.
For you arise to establish judgment and save the humble of the earth. You remove the clamoring noise. The stillness and silence declare you—Most High, true and only God.
The rivers and streams of your glory flow from your holy abode to bring gladness and joy to your people. You are always with them; for they are the work of your hands.
Confession: Our confession O’Lord is simple: We were like every man, dead in our sins and trespasses—enemies of God. Our inclinations were to always do evil.
But God snatched us from the hoard and made us his own. Not because we were worthy but because he chose to love us and make us into a people and a city that will not fall.
Thanksgiving: Our thankfulness O’God is beyond measure. That we are no longer our own but all that you have made of us in Christ, is extraordinary.
May the proof of our gratitude be clear in our trust and adoration of you O’LORD.
Supplication: Hear us O’Father, we believe—yet help us in our unbelief. You are all that is true and real; help us to master this wisdom so we may see the world as it is.
You are our Sovereign Father and we are your children. Christ is our Lord and there is no other. Through him we live, pray, and have our being—now and forever, amen. †
08-14-2022 #176—Sermon Passage,1 Samuel 15
Adoration: O’Father God—Lord Savior—Holy Spirit our comforter: Your goodness and purity O’God are beyond our grasp, yet they have become our delight and our shield. Day and night, we cannot but ponder your beauty and enigmatic ways. That you are merciful to some with eternal-love and dole-out wrath in recompence to others, gives us pause.
For at length your splendor and glory arise and we are silent with awe and wonder. The contemplations of our hearts and minds have captured us. To see fury, mercy, righteousness, and love flowing parallel, has shown us the Way to your thrown.
It is you who are at the core of the settlement we enjoy. All who are with you shall dwell in safety. Your compassion for us is greatly more than we have imagine or afforded.
You bring truth and justice to bare upon the deviant and the guilty. You right all wrongs and make straight the crooked ways. You reject those who reject your Word; who instead, hear only what their hearts and other voices offer.
You despise presumption against obedience. For it is not out of careful reasoning, but out of rebellion and aberrant desires to make the pieties of evil—seem good. So, the proud and defiant will have no ascension, nor a proxy for their sins.
They oppose you O’God at every turn and they scoff at your mercies. You give them good things which they disfigured and misshapen. Clear things are made opaque and honorable things—repugnant. The straight things, they have twisted, and they do everything that should not be done.
For ruin and depravity have spread across the earth, waring against it and its people. Its flowing decay overwhelms everything it touches. It goes from parent-to-child and man-to-beast. Both body and spirit dissolve beneath its weight. It permeates the realm, and even the ground cries out for redemption.
So, we shall vow daily to not take their wares, ornaments, or symbols into our homes. For to accept their ways is to embrace corruption. And, we shall not give quarter or safety to what you, O’God, have devoted to destruction.
Your wrath upon the proud and defiant, who destroy the innocent, is also goodness and mercy to the world. For you O’God are holy, exquisite and pure. Everything you have created is good, and all that you do is righteous. If we know its meaning at all, it is you have opened our hearts to see it.
To love you is to trust in you, and to listen and obey you are our greatest of offerings; all other actions are less.
Confession: We confess O’Lord that we struggle against sin. For even though you always give good things to us, sin is relentless, nagging and always at our door.
We confess the pride we have had distracts us from all that you are. We confess our desperate need of your goodness, grace, and mercy and of your pardon of sin in Christ—our very source of life.
Thanksgiving: Thank you O’Good Shepherd for laying down your life for your sheep. Thank you, for granting to us all things pertaining to life and godliness.
You O’Lord have redeemed us from our unexamined lives and given us the gift of faith in you. You called us out of war and despair into your home of peace, hope and glory.
Supplication: May the adoration of our hearts show in our honest yearnings to worship and honor you O’God. May we exalt you at the center of your goodness. May our esteem of you and our obedience increase daily and bless you infinitely.
May we fully desire to know you fully and to enjoy you forever. Keep us from consenting to anything you have forbidden. Help us to yield and obey. Make us now as our Lord is, forever and ever.
These things we pray through Jesus Christ—our Savior, amen. †
09-11-2022 #177—Sermon Passage, 1 Samuel 16
Adoration: Lord God, you are Alpha-and-Omega. The first, and greatest of all beings. The creation sings the praises of your glory.
True prophets declare: “Give homage to the LORD, for He alone is God.” The Son—our Lord says, “See Me, see the Father.” Your Holy Spirit gathers close your beloved—the souls of the house of heaven—little ones under your wings. Glory be to God forever and ever.
Above the heavens and into the deep, on the earth and under it, your glory is displayed with brilliance. It blinds the eyes of darkness and rips asunder the fabric of rebellion. For you are the LORD—God Almighty—most high.
You proclaim to every creature: “I am light of the world, in me there is no darkness. Whoever follows me cannot walk in darkness, for the light-of-life indwells them. My word is a lamp to show the way—a light for their path. I alone have immortality, for I dwell in unapproachable light which no one has ever seen or can see.
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness cannot overcome it. I am the Lord, and there is no other, besides me there is no God; I equip you, though you do not know me, that people may see, from the rising of the sun and to its setting, that there is none besides me; I am the Lord, and there is no other.
I form the light and create darkness; I make well-being and create calamity; I am the Lord, who does all these things. I do not choose as men choose and no one is my counselor. I do not look on appearances; for I see clearly all that is in the heart. Those who love me, do as I command. They shall live well before me and before others.
They will see the darkness clearly, hate-what-I-hate and love-what-I-love. For I know well their joys, their sorrows, and their desires. They shall not embrace grief, nor be anxious about tomorrow; for they know that I have held and yet hold today, tomorrow, and forever close to me.”
Confession: Lord we confess that you are God alone, our God our savior and our comforter. Our trust is in you; yet our resolve is weak and our need of assurance—is constant. We confess to you our weaknesses and look to you for our strength. Though we are people of the deep, we are too often moved by what lies on the surface.
Thanksgiving: Thank you O’Lord, for drawing our hearts away from the shallows of life into the depths of your love and the heights of your wisdom. Thank you for enduring our constant wavering. Thank you for directing our strewn-about thoughts into reasoning.
Thank you for training us, for helping us to consider our words and our actions carefully, to not abruptly spill-them-out as an injury you will not approve.
Supplication: We ask O’Lord, remind us moment-to-moment, morning-to-evening of your majesty and of the birth-rights you have showered upon us.
Sanctify us, Father, help us to be people of valor; and at war—to be skilled beyond the enemies of our God. Help us to have dignity and presence, and to be careful in our speech and our actions.
For you are God most high, LORD of Lords and King of kings—and you have born us into the world as your body, the image of the living God on the fields of battle. May Christ our Lord be glorified in all that we are and all that we shall be, amen. †
09-18-2022 #178—Sermon Passage, 1 Samuel 17/Gen. 3:14/Rom. 5:12-21
Adoration: O’LORD God, you have made us in your image. The wonder of our being is from your very hand. Though in Adam we have all sinned, with tarnished and diminished souls, and as our reward—the sting of death; in mercy and grace you have set us apart in Christ—to be redeemed, restored and healed to abundant life.
For in him dwells the fullness of God and through him all things on earth and in heaven are reconciled to God. Making peace for many by the blood of his cross, he is the head of the body—the church. For he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, and so, preeminent in all things. In him, all things hold together and have their being; for all things belong to him.
So, who is this, who draws up a line of battle on the land that God has made, to make war against the house of glory? Who is this that stands in the presence of the Living God, spuing forth the vomit-of-defiance morning-and-evening? Let our hearts not fail because of them. The fight they bring, is less than what they shall receive. The armies of God will meet them face to face, and return to them twice their own violence.
For the mountains on which they stand and the valleys in-between belong to the LORD. The gods of the enemy are as chaff in the hands of the Living God. God’s man-of-war shall give an answer to those who defy him. With consuming fire, they will be driven from the land that God has given. In terror they will flee into the darkness from which they came. But destruction will follow them wherever they go.
For the LORD delivers his own from the hand of his enemy. He is with them in the small and great battles; for the victory belongs to him even before an arrow or spear is launched. For it is he who directs them to their target; from the hand of his warrior, to the heart of the enemy, all will pierce through, and find their mark.
Confession: Our confession of sin O’LORD is before you. You see all of them clearly. Yet, you justify those whom you love, removing their sin in mercy and grace irresistible. So, if our repentance is true, our faith proves rooted in you O’Lord. For your word is living and active, a sharp two-edged sword that pierces to divide soul, joints, and marrow.
You discern the thoughts and the intentions of our hearts; nothing is hidden from your sight, and all shall give an account. Yet because we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, we cannot but hold-fast our confession of faith, and enter our rest.
Thanksgiving: Father we are so thankful, for you loved us before we were; you brought us into being and redeemed us in Christ by your covenant of Grace.
Thank you for the peace of Christ you have given to rule in our hearts and to gather us into one body.
Thank you for your goodness and your steadfast love that endures forever.
Supplication: And though we are unrighteous on our own account, we can give good gifts to our children when they ask; so how much more, when we ask, are the good gifts from your hand O’Father.
So, in our prayers and our appeals O’LORD, we ask: Heal our hearts further from the damage of our own sins, and the hearts of those whom we’ve sinned against. Heal our bodies from the things that have ravaged them. Help us to believe amid doubt and confusion—to pray and not lose heart.
Help us to daily recall your love for us while-we-were-yet-sinners; for which Christ suffered and died in our place to resolve. We know, even though our words be few, that your gifts are greater than what we ask or comprehend.
Lord, you have enlightened the eyes of our hearts to see the hope which you have given us. You have called us to grasp onto the riches of your glorious inheritance, that we might enjoy you and your love for us forever. This is the immeasurable greatness of your power toward those who believe.
Our hope, our trust, and our expectations rest with you alone O’God. Glory be to you our Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and forevermore, amen. †
09-25-2022 #179—Sermon Passage,1 Samuel 17/Gen. 3:14/Rom. 5:12-21 Part 2
Adoration: O’God our Father, Lord Christ our Savior, Holy Spirit our counselor and comfort; we worship you—O’Triune God. We look to you for every need in this life and the life to come. Only fools say in their heart, “There is no God.”
Their corruption and vile deeds—prove no goodness in them. You O’LORD, look down from heaven upon the children of man, to see if there are any who understand and seek after God. But no—they have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is not even one who does good.
Turn us O’LORD in the way we should go—watch over us and move mightily within us O’Holy One. You rightly and gloriously hate the sins of both angles and man. The Evil-One you have cursed forever, crawls in the dust—on his belly—and yet prowls around like a roaring-and-ravenous lion; constantly looking for someone to devour.
From his abode of darkness, he spreads delusion, division, strife and death. With deep animosity for all that is holy—all that is righteous and all that is true of God—this Father of lies—our adversary—searches, schemes and murders. More delusional than when first his pride appeared, he fights a war which is already lost.
For you O’LORD have frustrated, crushed and ruined him. His head is under your foot; yet his children make war against the children of God. Like their father—they want what he wants and hate what he hates.
From the shadows and in the shallows, they do whatever wrong they can conceive. They despise and defy God, and so too, the people of God who stand against them.
All that is pure and established by God’s word, they have twisted to deceive the ignorant. They are ravenous dogs against all who oppose them. But we will oppose them upon even at the slightest affront. Upon the line of battle, you O’Lord will not let our foothold move.
For it is you who keeps us, and you neither slumber—nor sleep. So, all the earth will know there is a God and that he is the LORD who saves not with sword and spear—but by the power of his Word, pay them now their wages O’LORD; for the battle belongs to you.
Confession: O’Father we confess our sins and our trust in you to reconcile and restore us to yourself. For though many died through one-man's trespass, many shall live by your grace and mercy in the one-man—Jesus Christ.
Thanksgiving: We, thank you always for your gift to us O’God. For it is not-at-all like the consequence of the one-man's sin—our sin—which brought us condemnation.
Though in-and-of ourselves—worthy of destruction—your precious gift of Christ, the second-man, has brought us righteousness—our justification through love. For though death reigned through one-man's trespass, life reigns through the grace and righteousness of Jesus Christ.
Supplication: We ask now of you Father, keep us vigilant and ready to fight sin however and wherever it desires to have us. Give us always the wisdom to not be deceived and the strength to stand where you have placed us.
Make us to be a vision of Christ to the world, that all the earth may know that you are God—our God, the one and only. This we ask and more, for the sake of Christ and the glory of God almighty, amen. †
10-16-2022 #180—Sermon Passage, 1 Samuel 18
Adoration: Father God—Lord Savior—Holy and Gracious Spirit—to you and you alone O’God, be glory, honor, and power. It is you who sets the course that men shall walk. They make their plans and cast out their nets, but you bring them success or failure, harvest, or famine.
You O Lord are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter. We are the work of your hands. You have knit our souls together from out of mother and father—and we are knit together with brothers and sisters. You have made for yourself, useful vessels; ewers of honor.
Some for righteous use; and yet others which become worthless cisterns; only to be broken and brought to naught—useless for anything but the glory of your judgment.
You have made your covenants with your people, which they have broken; but your covenant in Christ, a covenant of grace and mercy, cannot be ruined or divided.
Because you loved us, you gave us your pledge in crimson—the precious blood of your Son. You have given us white robs, armor, a sword, and a bow, in power and truth; your Word is all of this and yet—much more.
We are your servants and the children you have birthed. Whether we move through the mountains, valleys, shadow, or light, you are with us—we do not walk alone.
It is you who gives us success in everything though it’s not ours to see; for your goals in the hard things are difficult for us to perceive. We know your ways are perfect and ours are driven by desire. But you give us pause, introspection and remembrance, that we would turn back to you daily.
For we are poor and have no standing. Who are we that you would be so kind? Who are we that you should love us? Our enemies pursue us continually but you make your name highly esteemed in us. You watch over us, that honor and peace would be our food and purest water our drink.
The snares the wicked set for us, become their own entrapment, for you have foreseen them doing their worst, and always restore us out of the midst of ashes.
Confession: Our confession O’LORD is offered daily and your kindness to us is our deep desire. For like a theater performance, our sins are ever before you, both material and immaterial—they are always played out on our mortal stage.
We cannot say we were unaware of these acts; for they emerge from the heart, yet from the same spot they are suppressed and despised. Your forgiveness is our only hope. Restrain our hearts from sin O’LORD.
Thanksgiving: Our thankfulness now and daily, is laid at your feet O’God of glory. Your covenant in Christ is our final station.
Thank you for the gift of faith, to have trust in you has set us free. And we bind our gratitude to you in promise and hope. For you are the source of our courage, strength, and forbearance.
Supplication: Grant us now Father all that you command of us. Give the grace and strength to obey and live our lives as you have directed. Help us to see that our trust, which is our faith, is not proven by our deeds but by your love for us.
That nothing we can do makes it more valid but we conform all to things in love. We pray this in and by Christ, amen. †
10-23-2022 #181—Seromn Passage, 1 Samuel 19 Life & Promise Preserved
Adoration: Glory to you O'Father God, O'Savior and Devine Councilor. The earth and stars tremble at your voice. The mountains fall and the Valley's rise at your bidding.
Who is there that can stand against you? Only in delusion and utter bankruptcy does one lift himself up in the world you have made. For your mighty hand is upon all things—in—below and above the world.
The heavens and earth are the gardens you have planted; and you sustain it all by the power of your will. You have founded life and set the path of all that lives. Nothing is in the hands or your creatures but their own sin, rebellion and pride. These are the winds and the waves moving their vessels across a darkened sea.
In light you observe every dark corner. You see every soul both righteous and unrighteous and watch over your elect—the sheep of your flock. Life—promise and preservation are your mercies to them and cannot be disarrayed.
Neither an evil spirit or the foolish actions of men can ruin what you have shielded. Nothing overcomes your blessed. Nothing can move the foot you have set down.
For every soul, those in the depths of Sheol and those at its heights, are in your hands. Though your little one’s wander, they will do as you command. The spears and arrows of the disobedient are launched against them in vain for they will not find purchase.
And if your Spirit comes upon them, even the worthless will utter prayers and praise to you, and warn one another of what is to come. Their strength and self-control will succumb to you and their hostility will fade into submission.
For you shall strip them of all they have and humiliate them in their foolishness and futile striving. Their aggressions will be humbled before your chosen.
Confession: Lord God hear now our confession, for we were among the scoffers and worthless hoard. With heart or sword, we have shed innocent blood and fought without cause. We have tread upon the holy and given ourselves to sin. But now, our old ways are gone.
You have brought light into darkness and given us new life, preservation, and hope. You have forgiven us and restored us by promise and covenant. We had no power to do even the smallest of good, for you alone are good and have covered us evermore in robes of purity.
Thanksgiving: Glory and thanksgiving forever is all we can give. The exercise of our trust in you, speaks our words of gratitude. To obey your commands O’God is to show you our hearts as you have made them now.
That our inner and outer lives prove true before you, are a small thanks, but nonetheless our humble return.
Supplication: Now Father we ask, see us before you as we are. Help us in our unbelief and remind us always of your covenant in Christ to us. Give us quiet hearts amid disquiet.
Help us to see through the disguises of the world and to know with comfort, that you are God and there is no other. You will see us through all things in Christ. For his sake we pray; amen. †
10-28-2022 #182—Sermon Passage, Rom. 1:16-17 + related “Reformation Sunday”
Adoration: O’God of glory—righteous and true, author of our faith—redeemer of souls and reformer of hearts once lost to ruin. You O’God have not abandoned your people to the dark, but are the light on the path you have forged.
So, we shall follow where you lead, for you alone are the way the truth and the light. Nothing can stop or shame us in our march forward; for to everyone who believes, salvation by the power of God has come.
Those in right standing before you O’Father, trust in all that you have given them to trust in. By your power, in love, mercy and grace you give life everlasting—the message of salvation. You bring the good news that floods over the earth; it is powerful, kind, and true.
You sift through every claim and thought of those who use your name; who add to or take away from your word as they please. They distort it to satisfy their sins. When your church wanders, and your word is compromised, you cleanse it. You preserve for yourself the remanent—the humble in heart.
You give faith that faith will be true—the gift of eternal life. You give direction from morning-to-evening. Christ lifted-up, is founded in all who believe, not with self-righteousness by works of the law, but by Christ’s perfect righteousness through faith.
O’God, you made our Lord—who knew no sin, to become sin for our sake, that in him we might to you by his grace, and beauty. In love, he was lifted up from the earth to draw all people to myself. So, our souls are turned upright within us to live by faith and righteousness.
Confession: LORD God, we confess that our faith is true if it is truly our trust in you. If it is sincere, it has grown from the seed you planted. The seed contains everything the plant becomes. So, we shall nurture it with humble care; and add to it only what you give us: that we should trust; hold fast, and believe in you.
We confess that it is you who proves our faith true and us who find it daily. Our sins and imperfections are always before you but it is Christ whom you see. It is he who has satisfied the law and we who enjoy its end.
Thanksgiving: Thank you O’LORD for our Savior. For the law we cannot follow, will not now condemn us. Thank you for our salvation through faith, which you have birthed in us in Christ, from start to finish.
Thank you O’God for molding and remolding our minds and hearts daily. Thank you reforming all our foolish ways into wisdom. Thank you for capturing our naked and wandering hearts and clothing us in perfection, purity and purpose.
Supplication: Now O’God we ask, keep us true in all that we say and do. Hone our minds and hearts to be as sharp as they might. Help us to make right judgments and to weigh all things by your word. Help us to be compassionate for the lost and dying and uncompromising in the face of threat or demise. Keep us we pray to the narrow path.
That Christ might be our all in all—the champion of the battle and the perfection of our faith, we pray, amen. †
11-13-2022 Robert Elliot: #183—Sermon Passage, 2 Thes.1:1-2
“In a hostile world, it matters who God is”
Adoration: Praise and glory to you O’God our Father, to Jesus Christ our Lord and to the Holy Spirit our Counselor and Comforter—Almighty God.
O’LORD, by your command, all things were created in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible; for you are before all things, and in you, all things hold together. You rule over both great and small. You are our refuge, our strength, and our help. You are present in our troubles, our joys, and our sorrows.
So, we shall not fear. Though all the earth give way beneath us and the mountains fall around us, we shall not stumble. Though the world is lost and dying, we will trust in you—and out of your holy city, your provisions for us.
For you are in our midst. You comfort us at mornings’ dawn and in darkest night. You give us insights that the world cannot know. At the sound of your voice, the righteous rise-up to glory and the wicked melt down into emptiness.
You have shown us that anguish and desolation are the fruits of disobedience. But joy and gladness—all the fruits of Love, are there in submission. For in obedience, love and a trusting heart are proven.
Your people will do all you command. They will move in step with the hosts of heaven—or they will wait, keep still and watch. For you are our God and we serve no other. You are our only Prophet—Priest and King—and we shall exult you O’LORD in all things.
By your command O’God, all war ceases. You break the bow and shatter the spear, your burn with fire every effort of the enemy. Their means of war are turned to ash. Yet you are our shield and our fortress. For you have established one Savior in new covenant—the old has vanished.
You have written your laws on our hearts and in our minds. You have been merciful toward our iniquities and you remember our sins no more. So, while we have our being, we shall sing praises to you O’God.
We shall not trust in ourselves, nor in others; not in things, nor in deeds, nor in anything that perishes. You alone are our salvation. You alone have the words of life. You alone are our God.
Confession: So, LORD God, hear our confessions and know our hearts; our sins against you are ever before us; yet your mercies are ever upon us. We confess that our hope and trust rest in you only.
You are the maker of heaven and earth; forever trustworthy and faithful. You feed the hungry and judge the wicked. Every creature is under judgment and all righteousness is by your mercy.
For the world and all that is in it, belong to you. You open the eyes of the blind and lift up the lowly in Christ. In justice, you bring the wicked to utter ruin.
Thanksgiving: We thank you now and forever O’LORD, for you have cleansed us from our sins. From out of the world, you chose us—a people for yourself and forgave us our iniquities.
By mercy and grace in Christ—you made your desired—righteous within him. Thank you for being ours and making us yours. You are God—our God—and there is no other.
Supplication: So, we ask now Father: Help us—and use us as you gather in all of your beloved.
Walk with us and in us and be always our mighty shield. Break the weapons of the enemy and bring yourself glory upon glory. Move the immovable soul that is blind to sound reasoning and soften the hardened and wayward heart.
Heal us and our beloved purely for the sake of your fame. It is in and for Christ, who reigns forever and ever, that we pray—amen. †
11-20-2022 #184—Sermon Passage, 1 Samuel 20:18-42 “Affirmations & Arrows”
Adoration: Blessed Father in heaven, Jesus Christ our Lord, Holy Spirit our consoler—O’LORD, our LORD, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens and your splendor is around us day and night. Out of the mouths of babies and infants, you establish strength; you still the enemy and silence the avenger.
When we look upon your heavens, the work of your hands, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?
Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You have given him dominion over the earth and have put all things under his feet.
We shall evermore recount your wonderful deeds, rejoice in you and enjoy you forever. For you sit upon your throne to give both righteous judgment and unmerited favor. You sustain your people and prove your love to them over-and-over.
For their sake, you rebuke entire nations and make the wicked to perish. You blot out the names of your enemies forever and ever. The very memory of them will pass into the abyss of endless ruin.
For you O’LORD sit enthroned forever. You judge the world and every being in righteousness. Those who know you, put their trust in you; for you, O’LORD, will never forsake anyone who truly seeks you.
You never forget the cry of the afflicted and you avenge them all in due time. The enemy stumbles in your presence; they turn back only to perish from the face of the earth.
But you O’LORD have set apart your chosen—given them promise and hedged them in for their good. So, we shall not sit at the table of evil doers, nor join in their causes. For all their ways lead to death.
The fruits of their deeds are poison. And though there is but a step between us and death, we shall not fear, nor die but once. May you take swift and final vengeance on your enemies, O’LORD.
Confession: Father we confess: we know what we have done, and what we are guilty of. For we too were once dead in our trespasses and sins. We once followed the course of this world and the spirit of disobedience.
Like the rest of mankind, we lived only by our passions and desires, by nature—wayward children of wrath. Our Spirits were poor and proud, but you—O’God are humble and rich in mercy.
Because of the great love with which you loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, you made us alive together with Christ. By grace through faith, we have been saved.
And this was not our own doing; but by your gift to us of regeneration and faith. For we are your craftmanship and we take comfort in your great mercies to us.
Thanksgiving: With whole heart; mind and body, we are thankful to you O’God. Our thankfulness shows in our trust in you; in everything you have done and are about to do.
We thank you forever; for you redeem lost souls and restore broken lives. You reveal our adversary and make him cower in darkness and delusion. You deliver us from evil in the heart of desolation and affliction.
You give your people abundant and eternal life in Christ. So, O’LORD, may our deep-deep appreciation bless you ever more,
Supplication: Father, now we humbly ask for your blessings and every mercy you might grant. For all good things come down from above.
So, we ask not only for provisions and healing, but also for strength and wisdom to stand against every offense you have warned us of: Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, shedding innocent blood, a divisive heart that makes a wicked plan, feet that rush to do evil, lying and bearing false witness and sewing discord among brothers.
May our efforts to do as you have taught us, be out of love rather than rule. Make us true-disciples in every thought—word and deed we pray: for we are in Christ and he is in us.
Your wonders O’God are the greatness—power—glory and majesty in heaven and earth. Yours is the kingdom forever and you are exalted above all things, amen. †
11-27-2022 #185—Sermon Passage, 1 Samuel 21—"Seeking Sanctuary”
Adoration: LORD God—our Creator—King of heaven and judge over all, both great and small: We shall always bless you O’LORD and continually praise you by our mouths and in the vaunts of our souls.
So, may the humble hear and rejoice with us; may the watchful see and the doubting trust in you O’God of mercy. In fellowship, let us as one, magnify you, our God. We shall exalt your holy name in all that is common, as in the extraordinary, in all that is gradual and steady, as in the sudden and unforeseen.
You are always with your people. O’LORD, you answer our cries and delivered us from our fears. For you make radiant the faces of those who look to you. They are not alone and shall never be put to shame. You hear the poor and rescue them in their troubles.
Your beloved Angel makes his home with your chosen—to watch over them. His wrath and anger destroy worlds; but his beloved taste and see, that God is good. Those who fear you, take their shelter in you and lack for nothing—not one good thing.
Only fools will not desire life, goodness, and peace. Only a fool says: “There is no God.” That: “Man is the measure of all things—of things that are…and things that are not…” But the wise who love you O’God keep their tongues from speaking evil and deceit—with hearts focused on your mercies. They turn away from evil. They desire life, seek goodness, and pursue peace.
For your eyes O’LORD are upon the righteous and your ears hear their cry’s. Your face is against those who do evil, you shall cut off the memory of them from all the earth. In mercy and kindness, you stay near to the brokenhearted and rekindle the crushed in spirit.
Though the righteous suffer affliction in the world, you redeem their lives. None who take refuge in you are condemned. You deliver them out of the world into the hearth of peace. But the wicked are slain by their afflictions. They make war against the righteous and are condemned in their hatred.
Confession: O’LORD hear our solemn confessions and forgive us when our resolve turns weak—when our troubles have overwhelmed us, and we forget in whom our trust and our peace reside.
The world knows our sins but cannot know our remorse, nor the restitution paid. For the Lord has lifted-up our souls to you O’God; the God of our salvation.
May then our enemies not gloat over us, nor put us to shame. For all who wait on you O’LORD will not be disgraced; but the unfaithful and proud will suffer their due wage.
Thanksgiving: Thank you Father for choosing your beloved ones. Thank you, Lord, for standing in our place, to do for us what we could never have done. Thank you, Spirit, for applying your mercy and grace to us in Christ.
With thankfulness in our hearts: We shall do whatever we do, in word or deed, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ—giving thanks to you our Father, through him—our Savior.
Supplication: O’Lord, now we ask: Keep evil outside our doors and within where you dwell. Make us to always know your ways and show us daily the path to walk.
Lead us in truth and teach us all things; for you are the God of compassion—knowledge—wisdom and salvation. According to your steadfast love restore us always for the sake of your goodness.
Help us to be holy—kindhearted—humble—meek and long-suffering. Bind together all the virtues of heaven within us. Let them always be in perfect array. We pray this and all other things in Christ our Lord, amen. †
12-18-2022 #186—Sermon Passage, 1 Samuel 23 “Fleeing to the Rock of Escape”
Adoration: Father in heaven, we bless your holy name—our Lord be pleased and Holy Spirit delighted. Hear the praises of our hearts and mouths flowing upward to your thrown. Our souls are now risen with Christ—the rock of our escape.
Certainly, we shall indeed boast of your endless deeds and in the power of your mercies. Let all humble souls rejoice together and magnify you O’LORD. With the holy angles, we applaud your Kindness, Power and Beauty.
Through all our difficulties, we seek you O’God; to find wisdom, comfort and guidance. You always deliver us from our confusion and fear. When anxiety is great within us, your solace brings us joy. You save us by your mighty hand and justify us by your great love. You give your strength to dwell in us and your ear to listen to the cries of our hearts.
You subdue the hateful-minds against us; who set themselves above your glory; who love war and hate peace; who call evil good and good evil. In your very presence, they made themselves your enemy and ours. Though lost in delusion, you shall be a dread to them, a sword that cannot be stopped.
Still, what can flesh do against us? All day long they work to injure our cause; all their thoughts are evil in your sight. The adversary and his children proudly set up camp on holy ground—and declare victory. They advocate strife, despise the righteous and lie in wait to murder the innocent. But will they escape from their crimes?
No. For you will surely enter their camp—even as they sleep—and return to them either mercy or justice. For by their own hand, they have secured their judgment and measure of price. By your faithfulness O’God, you will put an end to them. Surely you will put an end to the stranger in your house.
But to us in Christ, you are our helper and the upholder of our lives. You are gracious to us and are with us in our sufferings. For you have delivered us from every trouble, and our eyes see now and shall yet see your triumph.
So, we shall not fear but put our trust in you O’God. Day and night we will ponder your words, teach them to our children and remember your great deeds of compassion. It is in you we trust; so, we shall not dread the moment.
Confession: O’Lord, now we confess that we have neglected to pray for the reclamation of souls—our enemies in flesh. Were we not as they are now and yet you loved us in our rebellion?
We declare to know righteousness but confess that we have practiced it poorly. We confess our poor memories of how you saved us from certain death and gave us eternal life. We plead guilty to every charge against us and fall before you, always desperate for your mercy.
Thanksgiving: O’Lord, accept our offering of thanks by the truth of our vows and the openness of our hearts. You have delivered our souls from death and kept our feet from falling. By your grace and mercy in Christ, we may walk before you in truth and in the light of life.
Supplication: O’God, we pray now for our enemies: May you renovate and possess them as you have us. May we yet fight the battles before us with fervent hearts, the armor you have made and the sword you have forged.
We ask Father be the God of those who worship the darkness, who have exchanged their souls for the pleasures of the world they love and for all the corruptible things for which they have given their souls.
May we take root downward to bear fruit upward. Be our lamp day and night. Give us compassion and wisdom to discern our every thought and word as we move through these dark valleys. This and more we ask for the sake of Jesus Christ, our Lord, amen. †
Prayers 2023
01-08-2023 #187—Sermon Passage, 1 Samuel 24 “May the Lord Judge”
Adoration: LORD God—Almighty Father, Son, and Spirit. You are God alone, All-Powerful—Holy—Supreme. Heaven and earth give ear to your words. Your teachings and revelations fall as rain upon tender grass. Your words are as the dew-of-morning—a song and a credo, giving life to all that you have knit together.
Your dialog of truth is as salt, giving flavor to the bland and tasteless. Your love-and-wisdom O’God are as a soft and gentle rain. You are resolute in all things. Your judgment is a violent and dreadful storm; your mercy—a tender and soothing breeze. You play a symphony of yielding and immovable power together in concert.
You have given us birth O’LORD. We are your beloved, so we proclaim your name to the world. We attribute all greatness of life and beauty to you O’God. You are our Rock and our Salvation. Your works O’LORD are perfect and all of your ways are just. You avenge the guilty and cover the innocent.
You are unchanging—faithful—righteous and forever merciful to your chosen ones. By the wisest measure O’God, you have divided mankind and fixed borders around your people. We are your portion, inheritors, children of joy in your everlasting presence. We shall look upon your goodness forever, in the land of the living!
For you found us in a desert land, and in the howling waste of the wilderness you encircle us, care for us, and make us the apple of your eye. Like an eagle that stirs up its nest and flutters over its young, you have hidden us in the shadow of your wings and captured us when we fell. No foreign god can fool us now or lead us astray. Our wandering hearts are in your hands.
Yet the world of dark and bitter hearts, call to their gods from their orchards and temples. With corruption, pride and want, they negotiate their demands with the gods they have formed. They repay your kindness and patience with indignation and provocation. They are a foolish, senseless, and irreverent people. You created and established them, yet their recompense is rebellion.
To your own you teach: “Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent children of God without blemish amid a crooked and twisted generation. Among them, you will shine as lights in the darkness—holding fast to the word of life. So, that in the day of Christ you may be proud to see, that you did not run nor labor in vain.”
Confession: Our confession O’LORD, is that: although we yet sin, still—you justify us. We rely on your forgiveness, goodness, and forbearance. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is your steadfast love toward those who fear you. As far as the east is from the west, so distant have you remove our transgressions from us.
Thanksgiving: Thank you O’Father that you show compassion to us, your children; you know the awe of our hearts for your kindness. You never forget that in our framework, we are as dust. The substance of your love sustains us and brings us into form, eternally.
Supplication: Give now your ear to our pleadings O’Father. Each heart is known by you. Help us to be at peace when our passions war within us. Help our thoughts and desires to honor you. Suppress and reform our covetous hearts daily.
Help us to ask you for right things. Remind us always, that be a friend of the world, is to be at enmity with you. For the Spirit you have made to dwell in us is humble and full of grace for our benefit. Help us therefore, to not be double minded but to draw near to you with purified hearts, in reverence and humility. In Christ we live and pray, amen. †
01-15-2023 #188—Sermon Passage, 1 Samuel 25:1-22 “The Anatomy of a Fool”
Adoration: Father in Heaven—Exalted Lord—Eternal Spirit, our one mighty God in three glorious persons. We adore and revere you O’God. Your essence and beauty are above all that we esteem.
You have given us purchase within yourself to root us deep in life eternal. We hold fast to you—our lifeblood and everlasting core. You saved us while in our state of failure. The depravity of our souls made drab the splendor of your work.
What was brilliant became blurred; a treasure buried down in mire. Yet, you would not let us all rot there. You recovered us—washed us—brought us into your home—and made us your children.
You have given us knowledge because of our deep esteem, for you know all things. You have lifted our lives for honor and swallowed up our wickedness in virtue and goodness. You have taught us what it means to be to be loyal and steadfast, for you are always trustworthy and unfailing.
O’Lord receive our worship, awe, and respect. There is nothing that captures our hearts as you have. Because you first loved us, we know love and give love. You have granted us faith, that we would be faithful.
You humbled yourself O’Lord, that humility would also be our way. Your word has given us wisdom, that we may reject folly. Your power has enabled us to act in a pleasing and approved manner; and to discern the world as it is.
Father, you have revealed that only fools despise wisdom and instruction; that not everyone cannot accept the things of your Spirit, for they are unable to grasp spiritual truth.
For what lies beneath this ignorance is in their hearts daily, as they hold close and trust—that there is no God. So, all that they do is corrupt. Their deeds and their passions are repulsive. None of them do good.
Their religious ways are not true religion, but evidence for their condemnation. For you have shown us O’Father, that the word-of-the-cross is foolishness to the perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of your mercy and grace.
And have you not O’God, made foolish the wisdom of the world? For by your wisdom O’LORD, the world cannot see you through theirs. So, it pleased you speak in parables and preaching that seems as madness to them, yet is salvation to those who believe. Such things are too great for us to comprehend.
Confession: So, our confession is that we daily ponder the wonders of your love. We believe in all that you have done and shall yet do. Though many stumble and laugh at our message and are condemned in their rebellion, we will yet confess you and all that is true.
Thanksgiving: Father thank you for giving us your word and wisdom as a treasure. You have renewed our hearts to love knowledge and understanding of you. You are a shield to all who walk in your integrity. Thank you for guarding our paths and watching over our ways and times.
Supplication: Give us now greater understanding of virtue, justice, fairness and every good way for wisdom to enter our hearts and minds. For all of this is pleasing to you.
Deliver us from the evil around us and those who rejoice in doing it. May Christ be glorified in and through our lives, as we live in proof of you to a lost and dying world; amen. †
01-22-2023 #189—Sermon Passage, 1 Samuel 25:23-44 “Discerning and Beautiful”
Adoration: O’LORD our God, how beautiful is your name. We praise you always, for our souls are moved to worship. We boast in you for all you have done.
Let the world in its noisy rebellion, hear our praises, and know that you are God alone—there is no other. You O’God, are perfectly holy, righteous, and blameless in every judgment. You are merciful as your choosing so allow. Your forgiveness, care and faithfulness to your beloved are beyond measure.
All guilt of every wrong thought and deed, is upon us, your servants, and the enemies of your realm. Yet you give ear to our pleadings and compassion in our ponderances. You suffer our doubts, inconsistencies, and flaws. In loving mercy, you frustrate our efforts to save ourselves. Through our trials, restore our sanity and humble our proud hearts.
You know the worthless deeds of the enemy, no matter their disguises. They abuse power and intellect. They deceive the weak minded with persuasive words. Their evil thoughts and plans are not hidden from you. You see clearly their foul and dishonest ends.
For having no life or wisdom within, they cannot see their corruption, so they trod joyfully over all that is good, beautiful, and true. The perfected hatred of you O’God, is their goal. Their predatory passions are never satisfied.
Still, O’LORD you forgive the trespass of your servants. You make certain the house of your beloved and they serve only you, both in peace and war. Wickedness is not found in them where your Spirit dwells.
When your enemies rise-up against your beloved—who are under your care—in house of the living, you shall hurl them into utter darkness, as rocks slung out from the hollow.
When the morning light blinds them forever, they shall see nothing but justice earned. When you return the evil of the Evil-One back upon his house, he and his children shall dissolve in the abyss, forever.
So, we shall sing your praises now and evermore: “Blessed be the Lord who avenges all the insults and offences of the enemy against the Him. Blessed be the LORD who gives patience to his servants, that they may see the glorious day of his vengeance.”
Confession: Father, we shall not neglect the confession of our sins—we know our guilt; it is real—loathsome and dismal. So too, we will not neglect the confession of our faith, our trust in you—your magnificent love, grace and mercy. It is real—beautiful and bright; the shape of our souls in your hands.
Thanksgiving: Father, thank you for your kindness to us, even when we are unthankful and thoughtless, and when we neglect to show others the grace and compassion you have shown to us.
Thank you for your goodness to us. Your gifts are beyond our understanding and your mercy gives us pause. Our hearts are overwhelmed with gratitude and praise.
With authentic appreciation and true gratitude, may we make right any offenses we have done, may we ponder every thought, word, and action before it is given out; that the outcome might please you.
Supplication: Remind us daily O’LORD of who we are when we imagine our deeds have become our salvation. You alone rescue the lost and dying. Keep us humble by any measure, for you know the depths of our pride. Let not our emotions ever replace our patience, reasoning, or compassion.
Give us strength to endure a hard yet wonderful providence. In and for Christ we pray, amen. †
01-29-2023 #190—Sermon Passage, 1 Samuel 26 “David shows mercy again”
Adoration: O’LORD, our eternal God and Savior, we are the workmanship of your hands, the abode of your Spirit. We belong to you, serve you, worship you; no other shall we adore. When you go out before us, we no longer fear.
When we plead our case to you, you listen. You lift us up, so we can turn away from our sin. You give us passage, humble our hearts and make us soldiers of virtue. You are our strength and our courage through adversity and hardship. Our militance shall serve your glory.
O’God, how merciful you are to us—the wretched. You have captured us, corrected our errors—healed our wounds, and cleansed us within. In robes of white and crowns of gold, you have adorned your people. We depend on your mercy and grace and await your great hand of justice.
That by your decree, the worthy in your hands and the worthless in their own, shall all stand before you. Both forgiveness and vengeance are yours O’LORD. All reckoning and all kindness belong to you.
You have rescued your beloved, even some at the end. In due time, the foot of your enemy shall slip. Their calamity adjoins them and your imminent judgment rushes upon them.
For you O’LORD are a God of recompense. You will fully repay the wages of your adversary. Your vengeance against those who hate you, who have decimated your temple and trampled on your mercies, is soon to pass.
For you have declared: “I shall punish these people and their nations. I shall avenge myself for the things they have done against me. When I sharpen my flashing sword, and my hand takes hold upon justice, I will render vengeance on my adversary, and repay him who hates me.
I am the Lord, God of hosts; the Mighty-One of Israel, and I shall be relieved of my adversary and avenge myself on my foes. Their nakedness will be uncovered, their shame and depravity also will be exposed. I will take vengeance. I will not spare even one, no, not one shall escape.”
And your beloved sing: “Shine forth O’Great God; for you are jealous, avenging and wrathful. You have reserved your wrath for your enemies but your love—for your beloved. Blessed be the LORD our God who was and is and shall forever be. Blessed are his mercies and his judgments.”
Confession: And we who love you will confess it, and so too, our offenses against you. We will acknowledge our transgressions, not to retreat in horror, but to fall upon your many graces.
O’Father, your forgiveness gives us repose. We turn away from our wandering desires. The battle takes a tole but you have given escape: Christ has sheltered us from your righteous wrath, and we confess him, both morning and evening—evermore come our praises of victory.
Thanksgiving: Thank you O’Lord for your strong and tender salvation. Thank you for entering this fallen valley and drawing out from the hoard an heirloom, the gift of the Father as the right of the Son.
Thank you, O’LORD, for your intercession and eternal love: for you have done everything you have determined to do.
Supplication: May we serve you in peaceful abandon; without worry of tomorrow. May our sacrifices to you, be a broken spirit and a contrite heart; for you will not despise such an offering.
May your reputation be glorified in our submission, our love of you and of those before us. May we cherish Christ and be content in him above all else forever; amen. †
02/12/2023 #191—Sermon Passage, 1 Sam 28:3-25, Ps. 50 “Saul looks for answers”
Adoration: O’Gracious Father—who sits enthroned above, you O’Spirit, most humble and mighty God—summon the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting. Out of the heart of glory, you shine forth in perfect beauty and terror. Majestic and regal: a consuming fire and a mighty tempest go out before you. Who can stand near you and survive?
You speak and all of creation shutters. You call to the heavens above and to the earth below and weigh every soul according to your righteousness. You will not keep silent but when silence serves.
The heavens declare your goodness, for you are God—Judge—Slayer…the Great and Humble Lamb. From within your covenant, your faithful one’s rise, praise and draw near to you with assurance.
Yet still in the world, you harken them: “Hear, O my people, and I will speak; O’Israel, I will testify against you. I am God, your God. Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you; your burnt offerings are always before me. I will not accept a bull from your house or goats from your folds.
For every beast of the forest and the cattle on a thousand hills belong to me. All the wild birds and all that moves in the field, is mine.
If I were hungry, I would not ask you for anything, for the world and all of its fullness are mine. Do you think I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats? Offer to me a sacrifice of thanksgiving; perform your vows before me, and call upon me in your day of trouble; then I will deliver you, and you will glorify me.”
But to the wicked you say: “What right have you to recite my statutes or take my covenant on your lips? For you hate discipline, and you cast my words behind you. If you see a thief, you are pleased with him, and you keep company with adulterers.
You are always ready to speak evil and you never hesitate before lying. You sit and speak against your brother. You slander your own mother's son. These things you have done, and I have been silent, so you have thought that I was like you.
But now I will take you to task and layout my charges against you. Listen to this, you who ignore me, or I will tear-you-apart and there will be no one to save you. Giving thanks is the sacrifice that glorifies and honors me. To one who orders his way rightly, I shall surely spare.”
Confession: O’Father, we confess, that when it seems you have not answered, we have sought other remedy—things and means, that are worthless and futile.
We have disguised our motives from others and forgotten that you see the heart. Forgive us our transgressions O’God—our ugliness at the heart of beauty and our weak and fleeting faith.
Thanksgiving: LORD God, receive now the earnest substance of our thanks. Thank you for loving us, drawing us out of the hoard, and making Christ our covenant—his life and death our deliverance.
Thank you for forgiving us our sins. Thank you for everlasting truth and eternal living joy.
Supplication: Father, make us now to be truthful in all ventures with conscience free and honest. Help us to seek remedy in you, by your Word and wise counsel; doing what seems right by reason and wisdom—as you give.
Give us not over to our own devices, nor let our paths grow darkened by hollow faith. Be our guide at every turn and make clear our home port in darkest night. In Christ—by the covenant of grace—amen. †
02/19/2023 #192—Sermon Passage, 1 Sam 29 “A Way to Escape”
Adoration: O’Father God—Savior and Spirit of Glory, bring to yourself praise and eminence for all things. We honor and adore you O’God.
All the wonders of your mighty hand show everywhere and in everything; in creation, in the Word, in all that is seen and unseen. You are not the God of fools and transgressors but of those who respect, love, and obey you. They are righteous because of you.
Blessed be you O’God of our salvation. You are our deliverance from death and safe passage through an imminent and tragic world. Though in it, yet not of it, out of it we come.
We are no more its children, but yours. For you set the ways and boundaries of all things. From all that we are spared, in all that we endure and amid all that enfolds in upon us, you are our Rock of escape.
O’LORD, as a matter of conscience, we are subject to those who govern; for they are established and exist by your authority. Though their edicts may be evil, you are our God and we respect the way in which you move. We shall honor you alone in all that we do, and pay all that that is required of us; respect and honor, to whom it is due.
Still, always our spirits are in your hands, as you are in us. For to those, who in perseverance do good, seeking glory, honor, and immortality, you shall give eternal life. Whoever serves you must follow you. For your servants will be where you are; to obey you in all things.
Because you live and are truly Life, we shall be upright and virtuous; especially so amid our enemies. Though they are blind, they will see whom it is we serve. They will find in us only that which they already hate. Though we will stand blameless—having done nothing dishonorable, they will yet loath us as they do you.
O Lord, God of our salvation, we cry out to you day and night. Let our prayers come up before you; incline your ear to our cries! For our souls do feel forsaken in troubles, as our lives draw near to death.
We know like all, we shall die, yet not to descend but to rise-up; for our life is there, in you. Our prayers O’Father, come always before you; our hearts are open to you. From morning to evening, we look up.
We embrace the way you lead us. Your steadfast love and faithfulness are bound about our necks and written on our heart. You have brought peace to those who were far off and to those who were near. The peace you have given us, is added to us. You give us to know you—your favor and your goodness surround us.
The peace you give to us, is not like that of the world. Our trust rests in you. We will not fear anything which you have overcome; nor forget your love in troubled times. For you have conquer the world and swept away its power.
Confession: So, we confess all our ways to you O’God; our apprehensions and our transgressions; yet more-so, our confidence in you O’LORD, Creator of heaven and earth. We trust in all that you have done and shall yet do.
That you came to us a man; lived a perfect life, took our sins upon yourself and died the death we had earned. You descended to your faithful dead and freed them from the shadows. You resurrected—rose to the Father’s right hand and from there, shall return to judge the living and the dead.
We trust in God the Holy Spirit, your universal church, our unity as your chosen, the forgiveness of our sins and the resurrection of our bodies to life everlasting.
Thanksgiving: Thank you O’Father for calling us into one body, where the peace of Christ dwells and surpasses all understanding. Thank you for guarding our hearts and minds. We are grateful that you have not given us a spirit of fear but of power, love and self-control. Thank you for truth and justice and for all that is to soon take place.
Supplication: We ask now strengthen our resolve to trust in you with all of our heart, mind and soul. Help us to lean on you rather than ourselves. Give us constant reassurance for we are needful and in anguished without it. If our trust is not enough, please help us to have enough. We know that if we can have true confidence in you—all things are possible.
So, to you our eternal King, who is immortal, invisible, the only God—be honor and glory for ever-and-ever, amen. †
02/26/2023 #193—Sermon Passage, 1 Sam 30 “Strengthened in the LORD”
Adoration: O’LORD God, you are now, have always been and shall ever be, LORD of lords and King of kings—our Creator, Savior, and Sustainer. Your Kindness and great virtues assure us. For we are now at ease to speak with you freely, that by the words of our Lord you will know our hearts.
With humility and awe—in Christ, we come directly to you. With reverence, reason, and trepidation we present our pleas. We have raised our voices and wept above the noise of our struggles. Our strength fades into dreams, and our feeble mutterings into non-sense.
We come to you out of bitter times and though the Lord speaks for us, forgive us our lack of elegance. We plead always in hope and anticipation of your goodness and accord. Keep us then from stumbling over wrong desires, as those who run in darkness. For our true strength is now in you, O’God our Father.
Your mercy has put an end to the distance between us. The Holy has made noble the desolate. The wretched have become hallowed through your forbearance.
To know that you hear us and listen to our case O’God, is a delight to our souls. We once lived in darkness with darkened thoughts but you pierced through it and renewed our troubled hearts. Now in you, we see all that our hearts have desired.
Such grace and mercy are beyond understanding, yet we grasp hold of it as a child to their mother, and the misery of our endurance fades to the back. For you cover us in assurances that flow down from above. Even in the face of immanent death, your mercies in Christ surround us, your very Spirit transforms us.
In the day we called out to you, you answered us; made us bold with confidence in you and strengthened our souls come what may. You set us upon a path to pursue, overcome and destroy the works of our foe.
In his own courts and strongholds, you struck him down, and all who fought against you were returned to dust. All the wicked and worthless will understand whom it is they fought.
Confession: Father, forgive us yet our sins though we are justified in Christ. We confess that our depravities yet injure us and others.
Forgive us when we think ourselves more honorable than those you did not send out; for we are born of the same house.
Forgive us for when we have thought our knowledge to be a prize we earned, rather than a commission of duty, greater humility, and greater trepidation.
For you give to your little ones everything they need. If greater knowledge and understanding, then greater weight to carry.
Thanksgiving: So, in retrospect of all our blessings, it seems to feeble minds that our thanks and adoration are never enough. Yet our words of gratitude surely match our hearts. You alone know O’Lord, you alone know all things.
Supplication: We pray Father, bring to our thoughts our daily blessings, that we should not stumble over momentary trials. Build our faith into an impenetrable fortress in which sling and arrow, sword and spear cannot find purchase.
Be deeply engrained in the trenches of our minds, that every thought and act will be captive to your glory. Bring us always to the place you have prepared in Christ, amen. †
03/12/2023 #194—Sermon Passage, 1 Peter 3:18-20 “The Decent of Christ”
Adoration: O’God, we praise you from our inmost being, our souls that you have formed, worship your holy name. The good things you give to us, we shall not forget. You are with us in hard times and there with us in the dark. You have forgiven our sins and redeemed our lives from the pit.
O’God, we cannot heal ourselves but you heal and restore us. You crown us with steadfast love, mercy, and compassion. You satisfy our needs with good things and restore us as though a young eagle.
You O’Lord, are just and you work righteousness for our sake. Death and iniquity surround us, yet our hope is never shattered. For you are compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in love.
Your ways are higher than ours and your kindness is renowned. You show all mankind that you are God. It is evident to them, because you have made known your deeds.
They are without excuse, for ever since the creation of the world your eternal power and divine nature have been clearly perceived in the things that have been made. Yet who has honored you? Who has held on to you? Who has thanked you? With futile thinking and foolish darkened hearts, they adore what they create and despise their Creator.
And you rightly find fault with the guilty and unrepentant. Your wrath is harbored against those who insult your righteousness and offend your purity. Your fury and anger are rightly proven against the wicked forever. Yet not so for the elect. For you do not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.
As high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is your love for those who fear you, and esteem your holy name. As far as the east is from the west, so far have you removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so you have compassion upon those who fear you.
For you know how we are formed, and you remember that we are dust. Our mortal lives are set. Our days are like the grass and flower of the field. We flourish for a time; the wind passes over us, and we are gone; this place considers us no more. But from everlasting to everlasting, your life is weaved in upon us. Your love and mercy surround us—both body and soul.
Those who honor you, with whom you covenant, who remember your precepts and trust in your ways, know you have established your throne in the heavens, and your kingdom—rules over all.
So, from the depths of our souls we bless you. With the mighty angles who obey you and do your bidding, we praise you. For all things are under your domain. You shake the earth and under the earth as well, saying: “It is finished!”
You have harrowed the pit and broke it apart. You save the faithful in glorious march—victory from the bonds of death… O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting? Those who trust in you, you will never forsake nor abandon. You redeem all that is yours.
Confession: You have made our confessions true. From out of the soul, we confess your life, death, and resurrection. All that you are, is fully upon us. We are yours and you are ours. You O’Lord—are our confession.
Thanksgiving: With thankful hearts our souls praise you O’Lord. We give thanks, for you have given us victory over sin and death. We thank you in all circumstances; for peace, salvation, eternal life and your soon return.
Supplication: LORD, you have made us righteous in Christ. Your eyes are upon us. Your ears are open to our prayers. Help us then, to seek all that is precious to you: The enduring beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, unity of purpose, sympathy, brotherly love, tender hearts, and humble minds. Help us to exercise grace toward one-another, that our prayers will not be hindered.
Help us to bless and not to harm. Renew our minds daily and keep us aware of our every thought and deed. Help us to quiet our hearts before our tongues speak evil or deceit. Help us be zealous for what is good even if we should suffer for righteousness' sake.
We know the sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. So, we thank you always O’God, for you have given us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. May we honor Christ as our Lord in everything—finding it better to suffer for what is good, rather than do any evil in harm of our witness. Amen. †
03/19/2023 #195—Sermon Passage, Psalm 85 “Revive Us Again”
Adoration: LORD God—our shield and our strength, bread of life and Spirit of truth, you see and know all O”LORD, past and future.
We always see what-was more clearly than what-is, and the future, as only shadows. Our sins have weighed us down, injured our perceptions and brought us uncertainty. But your mercy O’God—lifts our sins from off our souls, frees us from our burdens and open our eyes to see.
Our sin, repugnant and foul, was a stain we could not cleanse. Yet your mercy hid it and us in Christ who has borne it, and carried it away. Under the cover of love, every spot and wrinkle has been obscured and wonderfully hidden from sight. We lament over it, but you do not. For we are no more an affront to heaven.
O’LORD, you are gracious and good. You have not dealt with us in your fierce anger against our rebellion, but have poured out your fury upon our Savior, to satisfied justice. Though we complain of a hard providence, our memory of your mercies—restoration—forgiveness, and peace—enfold us, and we know well your great compassion toward us.
O’LORD, all the earth belongs to the you and all the heavens are your courts. You own and rule over all. You judge and destroy the wicked, yet your give favor to your people forever. Our longing for the new and restored land, is always our lament. It is before you day and night. Yet, your plan for our good is our comfort. You are faithful to your covenant—O’God of our salvation. You revive us, and love those who fear you. Our hearts are entrenched in you and your Word is our hope and glory. We shall never return to our madness nor the distractions of the world. We are captivated by your beauty—the merging of Love, Faith, and Peace. Your righteousness O’LORD, comes down to us from above.
Confession: Always in sorrow, we confess our sins—yet we rejoice, that the iniquity which hindered peace and separated our bond, is gone now forever. In Christ, forgiven and settled, you delight now in our innermost being. For you have given us a way to trust and taught us wisdom in the secret heart.
Thanksgiving: O’LORD, we enter your gates with shouts of thanks and your courts with songs of worship. Hear then our tidings and blessing of joy. Your steadfast love and faithfulness endure forever; for you are always good.
Receive our praise O’Rock of our salvation. We give all thanks to you and bless your holy name. In every word and every deed; we will tell the world of your wonderful works of righteousness.
Supplication: Yet Lord, so our reward is true, help us to never practice virtue only to be seen by others. Help us to never be pretenders, who make a big noise over our good deeds—in want of the praise of others.
And when we give, let it be that our left hand knows nothing of what our right has done in secret. For we know Father, that you see in secret and all that the heart esteems. So too, may our prayers be hidden with our fellowship and in the secret place where you are.
Father, keep us now from all evil, and keep our lives close to yours, as we go out into the world and return-again. For your glory and our life in Christ we pray, amen. †
03/26/2023 #196—Passage, Rev. 5:9-10 “God Knows & Loves every Languages”
Adoration: O’LORD Father, your kindness and mercy have shown us your tender heart. We abide in you and you in us. You have given us your Son and sent us your Spirit. You watch over our souls and comfort us in our trials. Your everlasting love always assures us.
O’Creator, Crafter of worlds and nations: By your Word all-things and everything is framed for your glory. You—who are all knowing—know every thought of man and love all his languages; especially, the secret language of the heart. Your love breaks through the barriers of dialect and the fetters of culture. Your message is clear us—to whom you give knowledge. We are one with you and one-together.
Before the foundations of the world were laid, you loved us and planned our pilgrim journey. The days and places we roam, are in your hands. We are not our own, for we are yours. Because you first loved us, we love. Because you gave us life, we live.
Where we your children gather O’Lord, there you are. With one-another and the armies of heaven, we sing: Holy, Holy, Holy is our Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come. You have established a kingdom of priests for your glory. We are all-together in awe of your love and justice. We wait for the final war. Then, you will rip apart the garment and remove the mixed and mingled threads. You will separate the fabric of the world from its evil weave and make all things right. Come Lord Jesus, we long for your return.
Confession: Until then, O’God, hear our confessions of sin in sorrow. So too, our confession of belief and trust. We confess our great desires: to honor you in our homes and daily ventures; to teach our children and those in our charge; to walk in the light of your authority and to bring integrity to your name in all that we think, say, and do.
Thanksgiving: Thank you Father, for redemption and reconciliation in Christ. Thank You O’Spirit, you restore us and ensure our perseverance. You strengthen us to endure whatever may come. We thank you O’LORD—for your wonderful display of power in salvation and the re-formation of lives.
Thank you, Lord—our Advocate. You stand before the Father adorned in righteousness—where you intercede and plead our case. Thank you for your sacrifice which atoned for the sins of all who believe.
Supplication: Give us now, we pray—stronger resolve and greater command of belief; that we may show our devotion by how we have kept your commands. May our lives in all aspects, show renewed minds in Christ. Whether you send us out but a few steps or to another continent; make us holy by your word—that it will not return empty, but accomplish all you have determined. As you have commanded, help us to make disciples in every tribe and every nation. For all who call upon you—will not be disheartened.
We praise you O’God our Savior. As it is in heaven, may you be glorified from every plane, on every mountain and in every valley upon the earth—amen. †
04/09/2023 #197—Easter—Passage, 1 Cor. 12-26 “Why Resurrection Maters”
Adoration: LORD God in Heaven, Holy Father, Son, and Spirit—you are almighty God, there is no other; Eternal—Triune—Holy, and Splendid. You are Transcendent—Immanent and Inexplicable: Perfect in beauty—perfect in love—complete in every way. One and three—together ruling with grace, mercy, and justice. You are the One source of all things—yet there is nothing you need. You spoke—and all things formed—fashioned for their purpose. You command what you will, and so it becomes.
In your eternal love and wisdom O’God you knew all your little ones. You determined our course from before the world was set afire and the structures of the earth arose. Though in shame we fell beneath the waters, in love, you gave us your Son, who willingly came forth for our sake, obedient, omnipotent, and free.
O’LORD, our simple minds can capture only-but-a-hint of your glory; yet enough to reveal our-troubled-state. For our wounded minds, doleful words, and unfolding visions—are inadequate means to praise you fully. Our attempts to form proper thoughts and sufficient passions are leaden and dull, every effort—falling short of your acclaim. Yet we shall speak of you as you have taught us, that the world may come to know you better.
Still, like infants yearning for a mother’s embrace, a father’s strength, and a place of shelter, we delight in all that you do. Receiving mercy by providence, trusting in your provisions, desiring life, and peace from depth of need, you adorn us in righteousness and goodness. For you do all things for the good of those who love you. You show us yourself in unimagined ways. Though content in you now, you shall forever open our hearts and build our intellect—that we would know you at greater depth and enjoy you ever more. Yet for now, can we only dream—and see in portion of what beauty will come. Your splendor—will give us everlastingly ascent.
Confession: O’Father, our confession of truth, peace, and forgiveness is dear to us: For our Lord was conceived by Holy Spirit to the sweet-virgin whom he formed. She bore him into the world, and for a while, his home was here, in this place of ruin. He endured sorrow, suffering, and death to serve justice and the dire-price of peace. He took our sins onto himself and covered us in his perfection. In his boundless love, he made us his pure and beautiful bride.
For all of this—our sin and his love—he was crucified, dead, and buried. He went down into the depths of the dead, and from there arose to prove God’s favor, his victory, and our faith. He rose to the Father’s side—Almighty-God-in-heaven. From there, on the secret day, he will return to judge every spirit—living and dead. His people-his-church, shall persevere to the rising—the resurrection of the body—and life-everlasting. In all this, we believe and rejoice.
Thanksgiving: Thank you, O’Lord Messiah—for death-our-enemy has fallen and we celebrate—giving you thanks and tribute. You were the first to rise and we shall be next—you know whom you have chosen. Thank you for your glorious victory over the Evil-One. Your victory is ours—we are forever grateful.
Supplications: Help us now O’Lord, to live well, grow wise and to trust in you more for all things. Make us a blessing to others. May our outer-and-inner person show true. Help us remove all pretense from our ways—that we might show you to the world as you are.
Give us wisdom, strong resolve, and presence of mind to live and die well. Train our hearts in courage, kindness, and courtesy. Increase our desire for your virtue and make us a blessing to the world—yet keep us always fierce in battle.
Because you live, may we live in this place with confidence.
Because you suffered, may we walk through our suffering.
Because you conquered death and rose out of the grave, may we never fear it, but look through the mist and shadows, to see our lives there, deep within your glory.
Christ has risen from the dead—our Lord has risen. The tomb is empty. Upper Sheol is abandoned. The Evil-One has fallen and heavens angles rejoice. Glory and power to Christ forever and ever, amen. †
04/16/2023 #198 Intro to the Gospel of John
Adoration: O’LORD—our Strength—our Teacher—our Comforter, Blessed God, King of Kings and only Ruler: You are our Sovereign—our Creator and our Sustainer—God of Peace and Bread of life. You are holy and your name is above all names: Abba Father—True Vine—Spirit of Holiness.
Your goings forth are from long ago, from the days of eternity. You are before all things, and in you O’Lord—all things hold together. You are the first and the last, the beginning and the end. You are from and with the Father. Our Fathers have heard your voice, looked upon you, and touched you—(the Word of Life) with their hands.
So it is, that we too have seen you, testify of you and proclaim you to the world. You have shown life eternal to the dead and have captured the living in your hands. You have placed your right hand upon us, saying, “I am the living One, do not be afraid. I was dead, yet behold, I am alive evermore, and I hold in my hands the keys of death and the abyss.
All of us like sheep had gone astray. Each one of us turned to his own way; But you O’Lord, caused the iniquity of us all to fall upon You. For you made us for yourself. Not from any need, but for the love and joy you give to us. We are children in your image, to reflect you, be like you, and enjoy you without end.
We are not our own and we praise you for it. Our restless hearts find rest in you only. For you are life and you are truth—the Rock from which living water flows. Our sojourn-home is in your presence O’Shepherd of our salvation.
Confession: We confess our sins daily and daily you forgive us our sins. For we can never do what is truly good, nor make right our debts to you. You and you only are the brightness of the Father’s glory. We are no longer a natural people but have the Spirit of renewal. Our sufficiency is in and from you alone. Without you we can do nothing.
Thanksgiving: We thank you, that you have adopted us into your covenant family; followers—believers by your will which is now ours too. We thank you that you always hear our prayers; for we know, that we have nothing without your gifts to us—we are content to rely upon you. Your grace and mercy alone are our source of thanksgiving and trust.
Supplications: Give us this day—and in all our days, your bread of life; to sustain, to encourage, and be hope to us. Help us for the sake of true-love, to abandon the momentary things of the world: self-interests over interest in others, illusions of success above true success and the pursuit of happiness rather than character.
Grant us wisdom to make the most of every moment for your sake. Remind us daily what is means to serve other as you have served us. May our brief lives be honorable because you are honorable. May you cause us to live in such a way that everything we do brings honor and glory to your name. May our countenance communicate grace and our hope prove appealing –that the lost will ask: “What is this hope in a world of sorrow? “It is Christ and him alone,” we shall say, amen. †
04/23/2023 #199 Passage, John 1:1 The Divine Word-Prolog
Adoration: Father-God—our Shepherd and Redeemer of souls, we call out to you in humble approach, to praise, confess, thank, and ask for your countenance upon us. If your way is in us, your Son has approved us. For our salvation He came down from heaven; Light from Light—God from God, our strength and perfection—in whom we dwell and have our being.
You O’Lord, are from all eternity—full of Grace and truth; Maker of heaven and earth. Before either void or form, you were. You spoke, and at once both the hollow and elements appeared. You shaped each by command from above the waters of the deep—and all goodness leapt into existence: In obedience, the stars in their orbits and the universe in its circle, stretched out. The earth, sun, and moon settled in their places and man looked upon his home—your majestic decree—a perfect display of glory and splendor.
By your word the heavens were made and by the breath of your mouth—all their hosts. From the dust of the ground, you formed man; and by your breath of life—he became a living being—innocent and pure. Yet by his own accord, he turned away to ruin. Still, in steadfast love, you suffered to sing truth and peace to all who could hear. And from the spoil, you delivered all who turned and trusted. You made righteous the unrighteous and stayed forever death eternal.
Apart from you O’Lord, nothing was made that has been made. With power, justice, and truth, you shall wipe clean the mire restore beauty to the disfigured and reunite the divided. You alone O’Lord are preeminent in all things. For no one makes us children of God but God himself. From the Father’s thrown, through the Son and by the Holy Spirit…to those who believe, the is given right to become children of God.
Confession: In Joy we confess our belief in one God, Father, Son, and Spirit. We confess with sorrow that we have and yet do sin. But Christ has justified us in himself by his works before you O’Father. Our repentance is by his grace and his mercy restores us daily.
Thanksgiving: Our thankfulness is from the depths of the souls you have redeemed. Thank you, O’Lord our God, High Priest before the thrown of God who has dealt with all our iniquities, weaknesses, and needs.
We are thankful for your power and work in our lives. Thank you for your goodness and blessings untold. You are our hope and our strength through difficult times. You are always with us and will never leave us, so, we shall endure. We give you all praise and thanks, for you alone are worthy!
Supplications: We pray, strengthen us now for your purposes. Help us to enclose ourselves in robes of truth, peace, and hope. Open our hearts and eyes throughout our sojourn and renew our spirits daily. Morning and night, in our waking and our sleep, fill our minds with your Word and increase our dependence upon you. In Christ we trust—through him we pray, amen. †
04/30/2023 #200 Passage, John 1:1-5 The Majesty of Christ “Prolog”
Adoration: Gracious Father, Savior—King, Sanctifier of our souls—O’God: All glory and honor belong to you. All things are from your hand; nothing outshines your presence. You are the Beginning and the End. All things are dull in contrast to you.
All beauty is from your beauty. There is nothing more Exquisite, nothing Purer, and nothing as Magnificent. The dreams and visions of men can only—at great distance—imagine your splendor—the fulness of which belongs to you only, our Triune God.
You spoke your will, and it was so. In an instant, the heavens and earth formed. Below you, all of heaven with its armies and all of earth with its creatures burst upon the scene; praising God from whom all blessings flow. In you alone is Life and light, beauty and wisdom, joy and wonder, wholeness, and delight.
Indeed—you made everything in perfect order and finished purpose. All things precise—all things whole—seamless and resolved. Hence, you made man in your image, alive with beauty and virtue. You formed him out of the dust—and in him, all mankind. You gave life and light to flesh and soul.
Even so, out of awakened desire—and the turning of his heart, he brought forth sin and disobedience. He embraced the darkness of joyless—dismal death; and descended from fellowship to solitude, peace to disquiet, and from ease to hardship. His brilliance faded, his virtues ebbed, and his beauty dulled—cast off into the shallows. From darkness of heart and corrupted longings, he formed for himself—chaos, disorder, and madness.
Then you—God’s final Word spoken, pure and humble, surged through and ruptured the darkness. No greeting came to you but death, no salute but the stones gathered to throw and no embrace but that of a cross.
Still the darkness could not overcome your splendor, but rolled back before you. The blackness of sorrow—bathed in light. And the Prophets yet cry out: “Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might, he increases strength.”
Confession: Father, from the depths of our being, we confess Jesus as our Lord and Savior, and not so from natural reasoning, but by the power of your love, O’God. We confess our awe and wonder for what he has done for us. Yet we are still weakened by an inclination to wander. We confess that our imperfect faith clouds our thoughts.
For when we pray, when we ask for the desires of our hearts, it is hard to look beyond the pain. When we pray for one thing—it is always against another. You have known every sorrow, so, we know you hear our weeping, our pleas for help and our arguments. For the world drops trouble upon us daily. In anger, it bears a grudge against us. Disease, violence, and the evil of men surround us, and move in upon us.
Horror and dismay enter our dreams and a raging wind and tempests beat down. So, our confession includes our plea: “Deliver us from evil O’Lover of our souls.”
Thanksgiving: Nevertheless, in all things, we are truly—truly thankful. Your grace is sufficient—your promises are true. We praise you in our hearts and with our tongues.
You comfort our souls and we are thankful. Even in the middle of death, we are grateful. That your love always covers us and your will is for our good, gives us hope and a path to you.
Supplications: Give now an ear to our prayers O’LORD, our pleas for mercy are before you day and night. Help us to pray as we should, that our prayers are a delight to you and our obedience a joy.
Grant us our requests if you will, and help us with joyful heart, to reason through their denial.
May our desires meet up with yours in fullest and trustiest submission.
In Christ, we pray, amen. †
05/14/2023 #201 Passage, John 1:19-34 Sermon Title: The Trifold Witness”
Adoration: LORD God, our King—Creator—Source of all Virtue and Purity: You are Life, Love, Righteousness and Truth; there is no other. Great shame and reproof—upon all challengers. Their delusions are born of sin and so—their judgment. They are deaf and blind. Yet, we hear your perfect silence and deafening call; both give brilliance and fellowship to those who love you.
The world in distain and pointless affront, demands to know what we say of ourselves—they are disingenuous—and we shall offer them only our silence. Yet about the glory of God, we will cry out in humble refrain: “Our unholy warfare has ended, our iniquity is pardoned. The Lord himself has atoned for our wickedness. He has appeased the Father’s wrath against us in double measure. By his works and his suffering, he has resolved our great debt. By his love, he makes all things new.”
Yet still, from ancient of days to even this moment, a voice cries out in the wilderness: “Prepare the desert for the way of the Lord; make straight a path for our God. For every valley shall be lifted high, and every mountain and hill, made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh together, shall see it, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
The Word of God stands forever. Along with him, we cry out: “All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field. When the breath of the LORD blows upon it, the grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of our God shall stand forever.”
O’Lord, Son of God and Son of man, you stand among your chosen. The Spirit, like a dove, has descended from heaven to baptize his little ones. The Lord calls them; they hear his voice and they follow. He makes them his hands and feet. His sorrow and theirs has turned to joy. The world has no part in it.
Confession: We confess O’Lord, that although we should not be troubled, nor doubt in the face of your assurance; our sin troubles us and our doubts haunt us. Yet our disbelief has turned to trust and our trust to wonder-and-worship.
For you have shown us yourself and so we have seen the father. You have given your life for us—our salvation is assured. Surely, whoever believes in you is not condemned, but those who will not, are condemned already. For they do not believe in your name—the Father’s only Son.
Thanksgiving: Thank you for the Light that has come into the world, though people love their blindness—our eyes are fixed upon you. We have seen plainly what we have done in your sight O’God, and are thankful that only you can take away our sins and those of the world. Thank you for giving us the courage to no longer fear our sins exposed. For by your mercy and grace, we live.
Supplications: Forgive us again every day we pray, and when we grow restless in the silence, help us to hear the Father’s Final Word—our Lord. May we hear every tone and nuance of his voice. May it resonate in our words, thoughts, and dreams. May all creation be shaken to the core by its sound and may the proud be reduced to nothing. Humble our hearts and help us to always speak the truth in love. We ask all things in Jesus Christ, our Lord, amen. †
05/21/2023 #202 Passage, John 1:35-51 Sermon Title: “Come and see”
Adoration: Our Father in Heaven, praise, honor, and glory be to you, to your beloved Son our Lord, and to your Eternal Spirit who dwells in us, evinces love—joy and peace; manifest patience, kindness, and goodness; gives rise to our faithfulness, and bring about gentleness and self-control. Against such things, the law can compete nor cause us to do what truly honors you.
For in mind—heart and body, we are yours. Our souls wander in foreign lands but our home is with us—and ever before us. Our eyes have opened to see the true Lamb of God. The blindness of our hearts has fallen away. The noise of the desert winds and the oppressive heat, have calmed.
His voice, softly-and-clearly—soothing-and-familiar, moves through the clamor of our angst, to give us new names. To baptize us with Holy Spirit; and see heaven above opened; the angels of God ascending-and-descending on him, who takes our sins away. This is the Son of God—our God, who has given us what we had not pursued—and bids now: “Follow; come to where I am; come and see all you that have not imagined, and more than your dreams have promised. I have called you—and with you, I will call others—even a multitude you cannot perceive.”
Everything good has come to you and found you where you are, even in the depths of depravity from which I have brought you up. For you were dead and could do nothing for yourself but the King of the Universe did not forsake you, and has brought you to his courts to live for all time.
Confession: LORD, we confess our belief in all you have done. Even before the foundations of the world were formed you chose us, you saw us when we were far off and called us to your home. All of this, not for some virtue that we would demonstrate, but for the virtue you demonstrate to the world through your Son.
So, in every dark venue and every clamoring crowd, we shall confess that the light has come, the stillness has spoken and the enemy has fallen. We will confess all you have said, proven and shall yet prove; that what is-and-is-not-yet, are never estranged—but always united in Christ.
Thanksgiving: Our gratitude is here seen—in the condition of our hearts. We do not offer only the words of thanks, but in love, all that you have commanded of us and now see in our hearts. So, in unity, our songs of praise and thanksgiving are never trite but hold every truth we can gather.
Your willing Spirit O’God, is the joy of our great salvation. Our gratitude is now before you. You have shown us that nothing we have earned—remains. We know you will show us greater things than we could hope for.
Supplications: Help us now to comprehend something of what we will be. For death, though conquered, is a frightening thing. Help us to see the fullness of life beyond what looms about us here. For the truth of life eternal is inviting, though deaths’ embrace is yet a sorrow. It encompassed us on all sides and pursues us day and night; but only once, and never again.
Help us we pray, to see more clearly. For our vision is often tunneled and the peripheral dims around us. Our hope is at times is fleeting and a feeling of abandonment fills the night. But we will trust you and always ask that your good pleasure be done in us now and forever, amen. †
05/28/2023 #203 Passage, John 2:1-12 Sermon Title: “The Good Wine”
Adoration: Our Father in heaven you are blessed, righteous, and pure. All honor, glory, and awe are due your name. Every creature owes you homage, worship, and praise. The Lord is mediator before you. He is our priest and king. He is the true prophet and champion of heaven and the Holy Spirit, his great and faithful armor bearer.
LORD, an assault against you is an assault against the eternal. Crimes against you are the highest offense. For an attack on infinite purity, goodness, and beauty is like no other. It is a rebellion of perpetual enmity against the Fount of Love and Righteousness.
It is an incursion of pure wickedness into what is wholesome and good. Eternal justice against an eternal crime of perpetual animosity, brings an eternal sentence and proves as Just for the severity of the offense.
So, at the fulness of time, in the presence of the beloved and the enemy as well, the signs, wonders and warnings came as marvels: to accredit, distinguish, and prove that the Word of Truth had arrived. To give purchase to the prophecies and serve as markers, the herald of reality arisen. All prior illusions must melt away for the Kingdom of God has arrived.
The Bridegroom has come to claim and purify his bride for the wedding celebration. His presence causes our hearts gladness. You have made for us, new and abundant wine, and lavished us in mercy and grace.
O’Son of man, you have come to your beloved in wonderful adornment; sitting, speaking, eating, and drinking at table. Freeing us from the old ways and the façades of virtue. From out of the common waters of man, you have made a rare and pleasant wine of celebration, the shadow of your own life-giving blood.
Confession: We confess O’Lord, that we cannot fathom your choice and we sin when we look to something in us that appealed to you. Why such a great desire for such an unattractive slew?
We were as water in clay jars, earthen vessels, muddled with debris, spirits without flavor. Yet you poured us into stone-vessels to make us something new, flavorful, incorruptible, and pleasing. So, we confess that we are not what we were and not what we shall be. We have seen your marvelous works and we believe.
Thanksgiving: All thanks be to you O’God. You manifest your glory in your people and right every wrong justly. You have made us something mysterious, citizens of grace, people of the way and children of the one true God. Thank you for taking a bride whose beauty is revealed in your home, by your side, and to the world.
Supplications: Lord, we pray, help us to ask for what we should. Teach us to always do what you say. Make us attractive because you are beautiful. Tell us again and again what we ought to do, and we shall do it. Make us tasteful in a tasteless world, and a pleasant fragrance amid the wafting stench.
Help our trust in Christ to grow, we pray, amen. †
08/20/2023 #204—Sermon Passage, 2 Peter 1:3-15
Adoration: Father God, most gracious and merciful, in Christ—through your Spirit, we are purchased. Your glory in creation shines forth through the mire of the fall, nothing can diminish it.
We praise you O’Lord. Your name is a beautiful melody. We proclaim your faithfulness throughout the night, and your beauty and love at dawn.
All your deeds bring us joy. The great works of your hands are exquisite, fearful, and assuring. Your thoughts are vast and full of magnificence. They are precious to your people O God! Even in our lowly estate, your thoughts shape our own.
Confession: Having now, a true view of ourselves, we confess to you our sins—you know them all. Every transgression we have done is overcome by your goodness. Our rebellion and violence are put aside by your peaceful resolve.
Your mercy removes all pride and your value give worth to the empty and hollow soul. We have nothing but our confession of sin to espouse. Nothing in ourselves commends us before you but Christ. He is our confession now and forever. In him, we subsist.
Thanksgiving: Thank you, Father, for the souls you have created and restored from sins’ ruined disfigurement.
You chose to redeem a people for yourself, and to be their God. Thank you for our perseverance in your strength, for the delights of your love and the freedom of eternal passage.
Thank you for your overflowing sweetness; for teaching us the joys of serving others; for empathy, sympathy, courage, and kindness. To your glory, we desire redemption for our enemies and our persecutors alike.
Supplications: Help us now, we pray, to search-out and exercise good judgment in all things.
Bring us conviction when we think our sins too small to offend.
Remind us of the anger you poured out on Christ because of our transgressions.
Help us to obey and be consistent in all things.
Alert us to every evil when we fail to recognize it or misinterpret its presence.
Help us to trust, and be trustworthy.
Help us to fill our words with love, especially as we reprimand.
Increase our passion for your sovereignty and providence in every circumstance we meet.
These things we ask of your Spirit, for your glory O’Father and the glory, honor, and power of Christ, now and forever, amen. †
09/24/2023 #205—Sermon Passage, John 6:16-21
Adoration: O’Father God our Righteousness—Eternal Bread of life—our con’soler and counselor: Hear the callings of the souls you have given a voice. You created all that is and ever shall be. The seas, mountains, and stars above, are your servants. In love, you are restoring all things and everything to the true. And in the heart of love, we—there—reside.
We praise you through our troubles and our calm as well. Speak always your word of life into our ways of death, for our once hardened-hearts still make us dull. Our faith is yet weak and little, and fear yet arises to engulf. Our doubts are a plague, and a menace to your comfort.
Do not pass us by O’Lord but come now to your own. For until you nurtured our minds, raised our spirits, and calmed our rage, we had not understood our poverty, making no headway—painfully, and always against the winds. Our starving and empty state—did muddle our thoughts. We had reeled and staggered like drunken men and were at wits’ end. Our views and perspectives were clouded by the illusions of the world. Its ghosts, and shadows lured our digress, as we sank beneath its waters.
We praise you O’Lord, for you are gracious and merciful. You delivered us from our anguish. You hushed and quieted the waves of the sea and brought our desired haven into view. You brought our thoughts and fears from out of the storm and consoled us, saying: “Take heart—fear not—I am here.”
Confession: And we cannot—but confess: Truly—truly you are God, the Son of God; in whom we believe and have eternal life. So, we will dread no more—nor wonder where to go. We gladly take you in and praise you fully; for you have brought us straight-away to a faraway land. Over and over, we confess that you are LORD. Over and over, our worship shall confess our love and praise of you.
Thanksgiving: Thank you O’Lord: In love you died for us while we were yet sinners and blessed us beyond our hopes. You have not left us as orphans; but have come to us. You have brought us in, and in gratefulness we bring you in with us—again and again.
Out of our distress we called to you with the voice you gave and you answered us. When we mourn, you comfort us. When the concerns of our hearts are many, you console us and cheer our souls.
Supplications: We ask sincerely: Take us with you to the mountain where we may pray, see you clearly, and be glad. Lord, you have saved us, save us always. Teach us to forgive others their trespasses, that we may honor the Father who forgave us. Help us to never cheapen what is so valuable. Help us to pray always with the Spirit of truth, with all requests and supplication for your glory.
And though our outer self is wasting away, help us to not lose heart; for you renew our inner-self day-by-day. We pray all things for the glory and honor of Jesus Christ our Lord; come again O’God to your people, amen. †
10/08/2023 #206—Sermon Passage, John 6:36-44
Adoration: LORD God: Father—Son and—Spirit, we are your beloved from eternal past. In love, you redeemed us from our transgressions. You formed in us faith O’Spirit, through which we are saved. You designed us body and soul, and nourish us with grace and mercy. Lord, you are the true vine and bread from heaven; our only Shepherd, our only Light, and our only hallowed entrance.
You are the life, the truth, and the way. You are He who is First and Last, the great I Am. Before you no god was formed, nor shall there be after you; for you are infinite—unchanging, unsearchable, and unceasing. You sustain us now and forever and satisfy our endless longing to know you.
In the beginning, O’Great and only God, you laid every foundation—start to finish. Every design and power of creation is the work of your hands. The earth, the stars and every creature that burst forth were formed by you, out of nothing. The heavens, the work of your hands—as given, will perish, but you will remain. All things will wear out like a garment. Like a robe you will roll them up; like clothing, you will change them. But your years O’God, have no end, for you are always the same.”
You are He who blots out our transgressions and will not remember our sins; and all of this—for your own sake. That when we have soiled the good you gave—you cleanse it. When we have lied and distorted the truth—you correct us, and when we are fallen deep and low, you lift us up. You shape our intellect and the core of our hearts. You tell us plainly: “Come, let us argue together; set forth your case before me, that you may be proved right.” Yet LORD, all that we can argue for, is your glory in all things.
Confession: We confess with joy O’Son of man, that you are the bread of life. When we glorify the bounty over the hand that gives it, the shadows of our sins arise. So, shine your Light upon us always and everywhere O’Lord. We confess, that you, O’Lamb of God, are our shepherd and our righteousness.
Our confession to the world, is that you shall satisfy everyone who comes to you and trusts you for salvation. From the midst of your throne, you quench our true hunger and thirst; you shelter us in the wilderness from the heat and raging storm; and shall wipe away every tear with springs of living water.
Thanksgiving: Thank you, Father, for your mysterious and invisible work on our behalf even before the foundations of the world were set; and for all that has been done to bring us as a gift—holy and blameless, to your Son our Lord, according to your will.
Your work, is the power behind and within our desire to come to you. You give us an ability to trust—and a will to believe. Thank you for choosing for us, what we would never have chosen for ourselves. Thank you for eternal life in-and-through Christ, our only Prophet, Priest, and King. Those whom he holds, he will never lose.
Supplications: Give us now the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Christ. Restore daily the minds and hearts you have enlightened, that we may better know the hope to which you have called us. Help us to see clearly the riches of his glorious inheritance, immeasurable greatness, and power toward all who believe.
Be with us in fellowship O’Lord, according to your will, and always in our daily remembrance. Yet, for your greater presence—we long.
Come now Lord Jesus, amen. †
10-15-2023 #207—Sermon Passage, 1 Tim. 1:12-17
Adoration: O’Great God in heaven: Father, Son, and Spirit. God of grace, mercy, and peace. You are the foundation of pure hearts, good conscience, and sincere faith. You turn all our myth, endless searching, and speculation—into faith and steadfast love.
Look now upon the little ones whom you bore; hear their pleadings and see their travail. You have tried their hearts, visited them in the night, and tested them in the fires. Find nothing there that displeases you, O’Lord.
For your glory, help our words to never transgress; and hold us fast to the path; that we may overtake the violence of men. For it is you who make our feet like the deer, that we may not slip, but stand secure upon the heights. It is your Word we speak.
You are the God who equips us with strength for the battle, and makes our ways blameless. You train our hands for war, so that our arms can bend the bow and launch the javelin. Yet, your kindness, gentleness, and stillness, give us perseverance.
Still, in your anger, may the earth lurch-and-sway. May the foundations of the mountains tremble-and-quaked, and may the earth melt away. Send forth the mighty steeds, draw us up from beneath the waves, and rescue us according to your delight—your love, and your righteousness. Your virtues are our reward.
In your wrath, you bring down the proud, but in kindness, you save a humble people. You shine your light into the darkness and rescue souls from their death march. And by the fellowship you created with us, we call upon you O’Lord: By your sword, deliver us from wickedness and from men whose portion—is in this life only. Cast down the enemy like mire in the streets, to be crushed beneath your feet. And let the winds disperse him into the abyss—like a fine dust.
Our refuge is in your steadfast love O’Savior. Keep us as the apple of your eye; and hide us in the shadow of your wings. Our love for you—is our strength, O’Lord. You are our fortress and our deliverer—in whom we take refuge. You are our shield and our stronghold—the power of our salvation. We shall behold your face in righteousness; when we awake—we shall be fulfilled in your likeness.
Confession: Father, we confess that we have too often wandered into vain discussions. We have touted the law to others even as your song of grace filled our hearts—and your mercy brought us peace. Yet, your laws are perfect—when perfectly used. For they are not laid down upon the just, but upon the disobedient and ungodly—as we were.
We confess you as our Lord and Shephard. In fellowship you entrusted us with the Word of truth—the glorious gospel. In humble confession, we see our former lives in the willfulness of the lost-and-dying.
Thanksgiving: Thank you, Lord, for the mercy in your strength. For appointing us ambassadors-in-service—despite what we were. Thank you for the grace you lavished upon us; it overflows and informs our every act.
Thank you for coming into the world to save sinners; bringing them out of the ignorant-and-unbelieving hoard. Thank you for restoring useless vessels into vessels for your use. We always marvel in gratitude at what you have done and what you are doing.
Supplication: Help us now, O’Lord, to refrain from upholding anything about you, that is outside our preview. Cause us to practice nothing contrary to sound doctrine—that we may never hinder the faith of others.
Purge us O’Lord, that joy and gladness fill our mouths in praise of your love and beauty. Help us to teach your ways of salvation to wrongdoers; that through contrite hearts, and the bones and spirits you have broken, our mouths may declare the glory of our God.
May all praise—honor—glory, and Power be yours now and forever—O’Great and immortal King. Amen. †
10-22-2023 #208—Sermon Passage, John 6:41-59
Adoration: Almighty God, our Father in heaven, blessed Son, our Bread from heaven, and eternal Spirit, our comfort from heaven: You are the keeper of our souls. All creation declares your glory and the skies above proclaim your workmanship. The voices of day-and-night pour out speech and knowledge throughout all the earth—even to the ends of the world. The starry heavens sing their songs of praise. Your image within us—gives us noble dignity.
You fed us, yet, did we not starve ourselves at the fall? Did we not welcome in the barren desert—and the heat, and the drought of desolation? Our sins and transgressions have covered the land in a blanket of sorrow. All that was good sank in the mire of wayward hearts; and we perished in our hunger and ignorance; and in a torrent of death, so came the waters.
Though we have grumbled against you as malcontent whiners, through long suffering—you still preserved us, fed us, and watched over us. Amid our despair and rejection, you rained down bread from heaven, sweet and pure, as a sign of that to come. Although many have eaten goodness from your hand, they have spit out the best in unbelief. Though they beheld wonderous proofs, they could not perceive what they would not believe.
For unless you feed them O’God, no one will know their hunger. Unless you teach them, no one will know their ignorance. Unless you draw them up into your bosom, no one will, or can, believe. We are taught and trained by you O’Lord, our God. We trust because we know you will raise us again on the last day. By your perfect covenant of grace, we know that whoever believes, has eternal life.
Sent by the living Father—you-live—and we-live because of you. You alone O’Lord are the Bread of Life come down from heaven. You are the Bread that will never perish, spoil, or run out. You are the sweet wine that will never sour. With you in us—and we in you—we are nourished. Our food is pure and perfect eternal-life. For you are not the God of the dead, but of the living.
Confession: So, our confession to the world is true; and all who hear it, will hear the truth. We are delighted to speak all you have said, and as well, to leave all things in your hands.
We confess our poverty O’Lord, and yield to your good and perfect wisdom. Day-in and day-out, we confess-and-confide in you our hope-and-need of your mercies.
Thanksgiving: Thank you O’Lord, for you take care of our everyday needs. You draw us from out of our past, every crime exposed—and absolve us in Christ.
We give thanks for the provisions of your love and the kindness of your mercy. Your grace, is our food. The song of our thankful hearts, will forever fill the unending expanse.
Supplication: Feed us now, we pray as always O’Lord. Be our food upon the way to the true, good, and beautiful land. Help us to display you to the world. Help us to never submit to the guiles of the Evil-One, but to stand with you in firm resolve on every point. Teach us to be always humble, vigilant, kind and giving; and to be meek because of the power of our God.
Give us this day and every-day anew, our life-sustaining bread. May your kingdom, O’God, come fully. For you are the holy and ever-living God, the flesh and blood of eternal life.
Glory to Christ, our Savior, amen. †
10-29-2023 #209—Reformation Celebration
Adoration: O’Lord our God, great-and-mighty, beautiful-and-perfect. You created as good, all that was created. From the most minute substance to the great-and-vast expanse; from the simplest-notion, to the inconceivable depths of your thoughts, all that you do, is good.
Every creature in its spirit-and-form is charged with its good duties; given its boundaries, and placed in its time-and-realm. You give all things purpose-and-dignity. And though you are all-powerful, and all-knowing, and all that you have done is perfect: you yet weave us in, body-and-soul, through the mystery of providence and servitude.
You have indeed tied creation-and re-creation into the very soul of man—made in your image. You have made him steward, watcher, and shepherd over all that you have given him. If he fails, his failure does cause the ruin of all within his charge. So, when he fell, even what he had not touched, fell with him into collapse. With deep sorrow in lost paradise, he became a poor-and-callous herdsman.
Turning away in disregard, he became the source of betrayal-and-disloyalty; a worshiper of wood-and-stone, dead like the things he worshiped, wicked-and-ambivalent, unrighteous—and unkind. Even now, the perfect gift of your Word is torn asunder, changed—and deformed into a lesser god. What you designed perfectly-straight, became crooked-and-bent. What was flawless became flawed, blemished-and-inadequate.
Confession: Lord, you made all things good but our hands are prone to break all we touch. For we are base-and-ignoble, broken-and-flawed, but Christ is noble-and-flawless. He is, and does, the perfect will of his Father. His perfection reforms the distorted soul, or gives it to itself in further spin, and endless turning-away. But whom the Lord purifies, he sanctifies. Whom he holds, are held secure. He forever sets apart his craftsmanship from an imperfect-and-treacherous hoard; they share no common ground.
O'Lord, in mercy-and-kindness, you have inscribed your Law-and-Word upon our hearts, and deep within our minds as a covering to our souls. They sing-and-laugh within the winds of our conscience. The souls you have reformed-and-shaped to your will, are beautiful, true, and righteous in Christ’s fulfilment.
Thanksgiving: Thank you O’Father, for we know the time comes and is now, that no memory or record of our sin, will appear before you or be in your heart. Your love will not let stay any disparate contour. Only the exquisite-and-magnificent array of Christ shall adorn the halls-and-gardens of your house. For he is our reformation-and-restoration. Your native soil and your living presence, is our home.
Supplication: Here in the world, O’God, reform first our hearts, next our intellect, and last our vision, that we may see the destinies of our souls more clearly. Bring us back to the solid-and-true, and away from the hollow-deceptive-failures of men. Clear our thinking and strengthen our faith. Set right the madness of false teachers and keep us true at every point and in every way. Reform us always and at every turn, that we might be as water, taking the shape of the vessels you have formed.
Because we are inclined to do as we desire, rather than submit to your wisdom, and to reshape what needs no reshaping, no adjustment, and no alteration: help us to see you clearly, beyond the lens of our changing visions. Help us to be calm, yet, curious of your mysteries. Guide our hearts to see the simple—as it plainly is; and to turn away from the muddling of your word.
Teach us to break our inclinations to adorn further, what is already beautiful. Help us to not make what is clear-and-austere, opaque-and-compromised; and to be always as you are: trustworthy, forthright, definite, and unambiguous.
Help us O’LORD, to form-and-reform what has been misshapen by our arrogance. For all, that you have formed is perfect, beautiful, flawless-and-unblemished.
In Christ we pray, amen. †
11-12-2023 #210—Sermon Passage, 1 Chron. 29:10-21
Adoration: O’God, great and marvelous, holy, and mysterious, we praise, exalt, and lift your name on high. In meekness of heart, we pray that our confessions, our words, our deeds, and our thoughts, will bless you and bring glory to your name.
All of creation is your dominion. You are the only God there ever was, or ever shall be—our true and praiseworthy Creator; and by your choice our Heavenly Father. All holiness, honor and majesty belong to you. So, hear O”LORD, our songs of praise. See our sincere acts of contrition, if they are so, and know our hearts clearly.
For you created fully good what we stained and diminished; and after, redeemed us to again fulfil your kindness and grandeur. We deserve no good thing, yet you give us mercy, grace, and blessing upon blessing. In providence, you manage our burdens to carefully shape our souls. You give us new minds and hearts, and cleanse our soiled ways. So, be glorified O’Holy Triune God; receive our salutations, our praise, our love, and our worship.
Our house of ruin is yours to destroy or rebuild, but your house stands forever. And Satan cannot sift as wheat, what is yours. You alone, chose your own; the strong and the weak, the seasoned and untried, both warrior and coward, and all who believe. You choose whom you will, to do and love your great works, and to leave others to love their own.
So, we shall return to you, your own portions. For what you have given us is beyond us. All things belong to you. All life is yours. All Gold, silver, bronze, and iron are yours. All precious and common stones, wood, metals, and marble, are from your hand; every element of your creation, gives notice of your glory. No one is excused from knowing this and giving tribute where tribute is due.
We the poor, bless you, for all our riches, honor, blessings, and abundance, are from you alone. From womb-to-grave, everything we have, is by your hand. And you rule over all things with power, kindness, and love. In your hand is the authority to make great—or small, to weaken the strong, or strengthen the weak. We cannot but joyfully bow our heads in homage to you O’God.
Confession: So, Father, we confess that we are strangers and sojourners before you. We cannot endure unless you preserve us fully. For you know our frame O’LORD, and you remember that we are as dust and shadow upon the earth. We know you test our hearts, and that you see how they sway. We know what pleases and displeases you. You are pleased with honesty, integrity, and virtue. And as well, when we confess our sins to you, you are faithful to forgive us our sins.
Thanksgiving: We thank you, O’God, true and kind, and we praise your glorious name. You are worthy and always deserving of our gratitude. You are worthy of our joyful obedience and our hope in you and your mercies. We know what you desire in the innermost being and thank you for such wisdom. Everything in the heavens and earth belong to you. So, with thankfulness of whole heart, we rejoice to give you all that is yours.
Supplication: We pray now, Lord God, if we are not right with you, discipline us, that we will love righteousness. Make us to know wisdom; and if we get off track, onto a crooked way, straighten our paths. If we are deaf and blind, remove our dumbness and any barriers between us. Deliver us from the depths of our sin’s, and lift us up to your thrown. Return us to being all that we were created for.
May our prayers never be distasteful, but meet sweetly with your desires. Now and forever, may we keep fully such pure ends in our hearts. Return us to innocence every morning. Direct us, body, and soul, toward you wholly; that we may complete all what is pleasing in your sight.
Be therefore, O’God, blessed upon the earth and in all the heavenly realms. For yours, O’Lord, is the power, glory, and majesty forever. Exalted above all thing in eternal victory in Christ. In and through our Lord Christ, we praise you, amen. †
11-19-2023 #211—Sermon Passage John 7:1-24 part 1:1-13
Adoration: Great LORD our God, we long for nothing in greater measure, than you: your holiness, our union with you and your will for us. Only you, give such desires, only you fulfil them. In all wonder and awe, we foresee the hope of our hearts joined in accord with you. We welcome the present, the final moment, and the everlasting, with joy.
Your tenderness is a sweet surrounding and our souls do long to be near you. Yet the shame of our corruption and pride haunts our reasoning and our accuser is relentless. But amid our misgivings and stubborn ways, your patience is unyielding. Surely the mystery of your grace bewilders us. The motives of your love for us allude us. Even so, our desire to be like you, is from the purity of a child’s heart. For you make us your children, unnatural as we are. To pursue you as our ambition, is fitting and right; nothing is more the precious.
Close at hand, yet far away, you turn all things to their course; yours to you, and the others to themselves. Though our great sins have been a means for abundant grace, you reshape from the core outward; and we want to bless you. For you turn what is meant for evil into good. You make the rivers of loss into the headwaters of mercy and goodness. Infinite and holy, the least of our sins warrant a boundless price. Despite everything, your deep mercy in Christ redeems your chosen and overpowers their dreadful guilt.
Outwardly and inwardly, you move about the world in kindness and mercy, and expose the accuser. You show the path in which men trust, is really a path of death. Still, the wind moves where it wishes, its sound is everywhere but no one sees where it goes. It gives birth to Spirit and passes over the proud. Your virtue reveals the roguish ways of the wicked; it is a prod that provokes their hate. They mutter amongst themselves and design violent-plots against the innocent; calling what is good, evil, and what is evil, good.
Confession: In confession we nod-yes, we were and are impoverished, guilty of every crime. We have nothing of our own with which to settle our unholy debt. Yet our Lord Christ comes forward, an affront to evil; and proves, it is truly finished. So, with trusting hearts and embracing arms we encompass his glory. In the now and not-yet, we plead his righteousness as ballast against our corruption.
In confession we rejoice over his mercy, our only hope. Our trust is inseparable from his love and deeds. For he alone balances-out the weight of our sins. He alone O’Father, quenches your righteous and dreadful wrath. He alone is our prerequisite; for only He has regained your good-will in our stead.
Thanksgiving: And, we give thanks for the mercy of Christ and your daily mercies to us. You pour out blessings both hidden and clear. You give us a song to sing by the rising and setting sun; and watch over us in our sleep. You remind us of your gifts every moment. Even as our hearts are distracted and board with the mundane, you are ever forming our souls. Our gratitude is constant, for your Word is gratifying to thankful hearts; and by it we praise you. You are the grounds of our hope, our enjoyment now and forever.
Supplication: We pray with joy, lament, laughter, and tears: Strengthen us, and give us more of your likeness. Expand our souls into the realms of holiness. Draw us further into your virtues and help us to be less content with our experiences and religious practice; for it is far too little to know you as you are.
Help us to become ardent and more fixed to your bond with us. Free our hearts from doubt to know you better. Help us to recognize the beauty as it eviscerates all that is vile and base.
With great assurance and expectation in Christ, we pray all things, amen. †
11-26-2023 #212—Sermon Passage John 7:1-24 part 2:14-25
Adoration: Holy God, Father of lights, Sovereign Creator of all things visible and invisible; Glorious Son, our Lord, and King; Holy Spirit—precious, true, and steadfast; God of our salvation: You O’LORD have called, and so, here we are. Chosen by your will, trusting you for all things. We are your true and faithful subject’s, children of light, vassals in the courts of heaven, a bride in waiting.
Teach us in this temple you have built; for we marvel and wonder at your every word and thought. You give joy to the young and old, the trained and untrained, the timid and the bold. All your children desire to hear the comfort of your voice. Lord, we know you teach us all that the Father has spoken; and that you say nothing that is not from Him. You are one with the Father and our reliance is in your authority. Our dependance is upon your guidance and our bodies and souls are forever in your hands.
In you, and by your deeds O’Messiah, we seek the Father’s glory: For there is nothing false in God. Everything is as he has said. You are the source, the one and only reality. You, O’Lord, are the way the truth and the life. You are, and you give one perfect law. By it, your wrath, kindness, grace, and mercy, flow down to cleanse the world.
So, shame—great shame, and dishonor upon the fiends of mankind; and those who have turned away in like-kind. They feign righteousness to deceive the world, and disgrace falls upon those who follow the Thief; who hate and want to kill you and to slander you in every good venue. The works of their father, a liar and murderer, always stir them to be as he is. Neither you O’God, nor your people have any accord or union with the wicked.
Confession: Daily O’LORD, we confess: our ark, is your love, righteousness, goodness, and mercy. For you, O’Holy Shepherd, choose our time and our place. Restoring eyes, ears, and hearts, we see, hear, and respond. Our confession is simple: We know and follow your voice of love; by it, you comfort, heal, make right judgments, and destroy worlds.
So, our ways, will be as yours; to love, make right judgments and verdicts that follow your true standard. For the weapons of truth are divinely powerful. They destroy every stronghold and fortress built upon opinion and arrogance which stands against the knowledge of God.
We confess too, that you, are the Sabbath, perfect and whole. For you have circumcised the hearts of your people, yet unbelieving hearts remain unchanged.
Thanksgiving: What a delight it is to be thankful and to remember all your mercies to us O’God; and to praise you for all you have done for your church. Thank you for your gracious Word; for passage through the Valley, and the comfort of your providence. Even as your silence draws us outward and inward to praise; you manage our burdens and cover us in gracious attire. In utter gratitude, we listen to your command, and by our Lord, do as you say. We await all that you shall prove; and thank you for every mercy which increases our love and gives light to our prayers.
Supplication: In great profit to our souls, make us, we pray, more able to converse with you. Help us to ask you for right things; and in obedience, to keep our thoughts captive to Christ.
Increase also, our capacity to love, trust and glorify Christ in all of life and over all the world.
In his name we humbly ask: Amen. †
12-17-2023 #213—Sermon Passage, John 8:12-30
Adoration: LORD God, Father of all creation; Savior and preserver of new Israel—light of the world; Spirit of truth, our comfort. Blessed be your name O’God. At its pronouncement, all existence shudders, the visible and invisible take notice, and shiver; the earth quakes and the galaxies trembles in their orbits.
And who are we, that you would condescend to know us, to love us in our condition, and live among us, holy and pure. We were, as all fallen people, dwellers in a land of deep darkness; yet you have shone your great light upon us, that we may see and know, that you are the Lord; and have called us into righteousness;
You O’Lord have taken us by the hand, and placed us into covenant with you. We have become outsiders and sojourners in a fallen world. You prove your kindness in your people; and by them, shine forth your mercies, even to the ends of the earth. Your salvation of purest light, will be seen in every dark corner. Whatever man has hidden away, whatever he has covered up, and stolen from the truth, will be uncovered; its ugliness, revealed by your brilliant and beautiful light.
O’LORD: souls chosen, set alight in Christ, and souls darkened and dim, bear the same image; and hear the same words. One listens and rises to life; another feigns madness and runs to a deeper demise.
Without a holy inheritance, there is no legacy but death. You ensure that empty words will not deceive the hearts of the chosen in Christ, nor can they embrace the things you hate. So, we shall not partner with the wayward, though we once shared their darkness. Our way now, is lit by the Lord. He has delivered us anew, as children of light, lovers of life and all that is good and right and true.
You, Lord God, are the Light of our Salvation; so, whom shall we fear? You are the stronghold of our lives; so, of whom shall we be afraid? Though evil is encamped against us, our hearts will not fear; though war arises from the darkness, we shall yet be confident. For in times of trouble, you hide us in your shelter, stand watch, and conceal us under the covers of your tent.
You lift us high upon a rock and give us feet that will not be moved. You never sleep or slumber, and always watch over the children of promise, your struggling bride. For you have said, “seek my face;” so, O’God of our salvation, it is your face alone we seek.
Confession: Father, now, we confess that we are often found sleeping; awake us, that we may arise from our sleep as though from the dead. We confess to you our daily sins and our desperate need of your mercy. We confess, we have sometimes been dim, yet we trust you will shine through us, moving outward and onward.
Thanksgiving: Thank you for forgiving our sins; your righteous and wonderful deeds, and your love O’God, which endures forever. In gratitude, our roots grow down into you, our lives are built upon you. Our trust grows strong in you, and our hearts overflow with thanksgiving.
Supplication: LORD, now we ask great things of our great God: Help us discern and do all that pleases you. Turn our hearts away from works of darkness. Help us expose the shameful things done in secret. For everything is rendered visible in the light. It is exposed for what it is.
Teach us daily O’Father, to be kind, patient, strong, and courageous; to make right judgments, not as self-righteous pretenders, but as those who have seen, received, and so, tell of your wonderful mercies.
One thing we ask most O’Lord, one great thing we seek, is that we may dwell in your house all the days of our lives, to gaze upon your beauty, and to search in you forever.
We do not doubt that we will soon be in the land of the living, with the light of Christ upon us, evermore in the presence of the beauty and goodness of our God. Amen. †
12-24-2023 #214—Sermon Passage, 2 Cor. 8:9
Adoration: LORD God, Father, Son, and Spirit: How great is your love for man, that your Messiah would set aside all glory to become as nothing; to step humbly and empty into bondage, to suffer our common burdens. A light, God’s final word, has broken through the darkness. Beyond our wildest dreams, a King has become a servant, a child, in our likeness and poverty, has become our hope. In innocence and obedience, as a man, counting equality with God as unthinkable; as God, knowing all that must take place, he came in submission, heaven upon earth, to make amends for the guilty, for he had done no wrong, yet he suffered God’s wrath, even to death upon a cross. He brought light, and life, to a dead and dying world.
We see now the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that although he was rich, for our sake, he became poor, that by his poverty, we would be rich. So, be highly exalted O’Lord; for upon your name, God has bestowed great honor, splendor, praise, and beauty. It stands radiant, and high above every other name. At its utterance in heaven, on earth, and under the earth, every knee should bow, and every tongue should confess to the glory of God the Father, that Jesus Christ is Lord.
Yet, people deceive themselves and others when they think they are something, so, make much of themselves. In their delusion, they have no need or understanding of what God has done. Their love is for themselves, their pride is in their treasure. Their worship is upon their riches, but they are poor, they have nothing, they give nothing and know nothing. But for the poor whom you have enriched by your love, neither life nor death, angels or rulers, things that are, or things to come, or anything else in all creation, can separate them from the love of God in Christ Jesus, our Lord. You are all things to us, our Prophet, Priest, and King.
Your judgments O’LORD are unsearchable and mysterious. They are from the depths of your riches, wisdom, and knowledge! For from you and through you and to you O’God, are all things, forever glorious and wonderful. Together with one voice we praise you O’God our Father, Father of our Lord. You are the God of our hope, joy, peace, and trust. By the power of your Holy spirit, we overflow with assurance. You have made us one in every desire, steadfast, immovable, abounding in your good works, knowing that we do not labor in vain.
The richness of Christ dwells in our hearts through faith; giving us confidence in the fullness of the God who roots and grounds us in his love; who gives us strength and an intellect to comprehend as best we can, the things that go beyond our knowledge; being the breadth, length, height, and depth, of the love of Christ.
Confession: Yet, O’ merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. Forgive us we pray and so repent. For the sake of your Son our Lord, have mercy on us, that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways to the glory of your name. Your faithfulness is our greatest hope and salvation.
Thanksgiving: O’Lord, with grateful hearts, we praise you for your gracious sacrifice; for your kindness to us when we were poor and ill willed against you, and for your patience with us as we are shaped by your hand. Thank you for working all good things on our behalf, for bringing us up out of the mire of our sins, and cleansing us through your blood and impoverishment.
Supplication: Give us now, encouragement in Christ, the comfort of love and fellowship in your Spirit. Give us proper affections, empathy, and sympathy for those to whom we can give more than we thought possible. Make us of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord with one another. Help us to do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than ourselves.
Turn our eyes to the interests of others and not only our own, as our Lord has done for us. May we obey and serve others through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. Glory to Christ, amen. †
12-31-2023 #215—Sermon Passage, John 8:31-47 “Is God Your Father?”
Adoration: O’God, Magnificent, Triune, Majestic LORD: We praise You and love to tell the world about You; that You alone are God, and there is no other. You are the God of our salvation; altogether Holy, Father of the living and deliverance for all who believe.
You persuade with beauty, peace, and love. To those who see, O’LORD, You—show; to those who hear, O’LORD, You—speak; and to those who have nothing, O’LORD, You—give all things.
You grant approval where none was due. Where only death was earned, You gave life. Where only sorrow reigned, You gave joy, and where only disgrace was known, You gave favor. Imprisoned hearts and minds, freed now by truth, abandon all restraints to sing: “O’death, where is Your victory? O’death, where is Your sting?”
Yet, many will not be swayed, nor give ear or place for truth to hold. They are not of God, though still, You call. All flesh has its descent-and-origin, all have body-and-spirit, yet only the Spirit gives birth to spirit; giving rest and firm embrace. Only those who believe are true sons; justified; and righteous friends of God.
Evermore true: The children of God and those of the Devil have no common ground. They stand on different shores treading divergent ways. They cannot bear to hear Your word, nor receive the things they hate. They are entranced with murder, lies and all that is contrary to God. The very contour of their realm, is a deep-and-dark valley, where nothing is useful, nor even what it seems to be. There is no good in them, they are like their father.
But to know You O’Lord, is to know everything true, everything real and everything useful. You are the core of life and fount of joy. Your faithfulness grounds our belief and our steadfast endurance. We shall walk this path by Your lead, and by Your draw and Your pull upon us. You tow us through the barriers of sin’s consuming mire. From Your hands, we cannot be lost, nor left in the gale of rebellion. We rest fully in Your arms.
O’Savior Lord, You speak the very word of God, and Your word has found purchase within us. Above and below, its roots hedge deeply around our hearts as a tree of life in desolate lands. Deep within and all-around, You hold us, guard us, and keep straight our lives. We have not misunderstood You, nor made Your words as folly; for it is all as You have said, not a word out of place.
So, we, O’Savior, shall bear the course with You; and when You appear, our confidence will stand proven and pure. Our shame shall no-more engulf us, nor our sins enslave and surround us like prison walls. You make us true disciples who abide in your word, and in Your house evermore.
Confession: Still, we confess that we had been slaves to sin, neither desiring nor seeing what was good, and unable to escape. Our ways were aligned with the Evil One’s. Where he placed his foot, our foot fell, our manners became his; ruthless, murderous, and wicked. We sang his death songs, counting their discord as harmony, while deaf to Your melodic voice.
Thanksgiving: What gratitude we have to You O’God; who in grace and mercy stepped as light into darkness to rescue us. In covenant, to save us from death—to life. Your love has altered our conduct; given us virtuous behaviors and right thinking.
We thank You O’Shepherd, morning and evening, for all you have done and shall yet do; for making our hearts courageous; for giving us hope in the face of trials and distain in our hearts for the Evil One’s ways.
Supplications: So, that we may prove our resolve, test us as You might. Show us where we have failed, that we may look to You for success. Reform us daily; hold us close, and alight our ways to be as towers of truth, that point to You alone. Let our tongues speak the words you have taught us, that all might hear you and know the way to You.
Let our behaviors, our mouths, and our deeds, never contradict our claim to You. May we show by hearts tied securely to You, what true religion is in a life you have redeemed. May we remain now and forever in Your house O’Son of God, amen. †
12-31-2023 #216—Sermon Passage, John 8:31-47 Specifically 34-35
Adoration: Father God, O’Holy One-our Lord, Redeemer, and true Savior; We praise and thank you O’God, for you are good and your steadfast love endures forever.
You have delivered us from our troubles; our sins and transgressions. You have gathered your own from east to west and north to south. You have called to your own and they have heard your voice, understood your words, and have seen your works. By the power of your will, you have turned them from their corruption and anarchy; every lifeless heart you embrace, by your grace, restored.
Truly, everyone who practices sin, is its slave; its bond servant, and its offspring. Not as one who serves and departs, but as a son who inherits and remains forever in the house of rebellion. Their sin, an attack against God, is a personal affront, an act of hate, conflict, and unrest.
You O’LORD are Life and Love. With you is peace and calm assurance. Yet, the world has chosen the contrary. Clamoring to be free from the jurisdiction of good and perfect law, they follow-after what righteousness forbids. But you O’God, have shown them the faultless path, away from which the children of sin turn. They have worked and earned your retribution. They have claimed for themselves, what belongs to you only. All they do is invalid and void. It is evil because there is no good, wrong because there is no right. What evil does, justice repays in verdict an endless abyss.
Confession: Lord, we know the way of sinners, who were our brothers with us in chaos. We confess to you and repent in you; for we could not have turned without your Holy merciful choice and pleasing touch.
We know, in Christ, our sins are forgiven, yet forgiveness is still our cause; so, forgive us yet O’Father. We confess with joy all that we have forsaken. And all the ashes we still hold; shall the winds not disperse them too?
Thanksgiving: Thank you, O’Savior, you have not left us in our misery and ruin but rebuilt us as your own. You have shattered the doors of our prison and cut the bars in two, to burst apart our bonds. You brought us out of darkness and from the shadow of death; and now we cry out in gratitude. To you we plead our case and know you are our advocate. How grateful we are to know the truth and live in simple assurance; longing souls, satisfied.
Supplications: Strengthen our trust and our desires for holiness. May we never seek you for your gifts, but for your beauty and fellowship. May our love for you show in all we do and desire. O’Savior, let our taste for the perishing grow dull, as we savor eternal flavor. Help us to know you are with us always. Seal us in your perfections and carry us from our distress. Lead us straight away to your home, to dwell in your resolute love and wonderous works. Fill us, we pray, with all good things in Christ, amen. †
Adoration: LORD God—Almighty Father, Son, and Spirit. You are God alone, All-Powerful—Holy—Supreme. Heaven and earth give ear to your words. Your teachings and revelations fall as rain upon tender grass. Your words are as the dew-of-morning—a song and a credo, giving life to all that you have knit together.
Your dialog of truth is as salt, giving flavor to the bland and tasteless. Your love-and-wisdom O’God are as a soft and gentle rain. You are resolute in all things. Your judgment is a violent and dreadful storm; your mercy—a tender and soothing breeze. You play a symphony of yielding and immovable power together in concert.
You have given us birth O’LORD. We are your beloved, so we proclaim your name to the world. We attribute all greatness of life and beauty to you O’God. You are our Rock and our Salvation. Your works O’LORD are perfect and all of your ways are just. You avenge the guilty and cover the innocent.
You are unchanging—faithful—righteous and forever merciful to your chosen ones. By the wisest measure O’God, you have divided mankind and fixed borders around your people. We are your portion, inheritors, children of joy in your everlasting presence. We shall look upon your goodness forever, in the land of the living!
For you found us in a desert land, and in the howling waste of the wilderness you encircle us, care for us, and make us the apple of your eye. Like an eagle that stirs up its nest and flutters over its young, you have hidden us in the shadow of your wings and captured us when we fell. No foreign god can fool us now or lead us astray. Our wandering hearts are in your hands.
Yet the world of dark and bitter hearts, call to their gods from their orchards and temples. With corruption, pride and want, they negotiate their demands with the gods they have formed. They repay your kindness and patience with indignation and provocation. They are a foolish, senseless, and irreverent people. You created and established them, yet their recompense is rebellion.
To your own you teach: “Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent children of God without blemish amid a crooked and twisted generation. Among them, you will shine as lights in the darkness—holding fast to the word of life. So, that in the day of Christ you may be proud to see, that you did not run nor labor in vain.”
Confession: Our confession O’LORD, is that: although we yet sin, still—you justify us. We rely on your forgiveness, goodness, and forbearance. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is your steadfast love toward those who fear you. As far as the east is from the west, so distant have you remove our transgressions from us.
Thanksgiving: Thank you O’Father that you show compassion to us, your children; you know the awe of our hearts for your kindness. You never forget that in our framework, we are as dust. The substance of your love sustains us and brings us into form, eternally.
Supplication: Give now your ear to our pleadings O’Father. Each heart is known by you. Help us to be at peace when our passions war within us. Help our thoughts and desires to honor you. Suppress and reform our covetous hearts daily.
Help us to ask you for right things. Remind us always, that be a friend of the world, is to be at enmity with you. For the Spirit you have made to dwell in us is humble and full of grace for our benefit. Help us therefore, to not be double minded but to draw near to you with purified hearts, in reverence and humility. In Christ we live and pray, amen. †
01-15-2023 #188—Sermon Passage, 1 Samuel 25:1-22 “The Anatomy of a Fool”
Adoration: Father in Heaven—Exalted Lord—Eternal Spirit, our one mighty God in three glorious persons. We adore and revere you O’God. Your essence and beauty are above all that we esteem.
You have given us purchase within yourself to root us deep in life eternal. We hold fast to you—our lifeblood and everlasting core. You saved us while in our state of failure. The depravity of our souls made drab the splendor of your work.
What was brilliant became blurred; a treasure buried down in mire. Yet, you would not let us all rot there. You recovered us—washed us—brought us into your home—and made us your children.
You have given us knowledge because of our deep esteem, for you know all things. You have lifted our lives for honor and swallowed up our wickedness in virtue and goodness. You have taught us what it means to be to be loyal and steadfast, for you are always trustworthy and unfailing.
O’Lord receive our worship, awe, and respect. There is nothing that captures our hearts as you have. Because you first loved us, we know love and give love. You have granted us faith, that we would be faithful.
You humbled yourself O’Lord, that humility would also be our way. Your word has given us wisdom, that we may reject folly. Your power has enabled us to act in a pleasing and approved manner; and to discern the world as it is.
Father, you have revealed that only fools despise wisdom and instruction; that not everyone cannot accept the things of your Spirit, for they are unable to grasp spiritual truth.
For what lies beneath this ignorance is in their hearts daily, as they hold close and trust—that there is no God. So, all that they do is corrupt. Their deeds and their passions are repulsive. None of them do good.
Their religious ways are not true religion, but evidence for their condemnation. For you have shown us O’Father, that the word-of-the-cross is foolishness to the perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of your mercy and grace.
And have you not O’God, made foolish the wisdom of the world? For by your wisdom O’LORD, the world cannot see you through theirs. So, it pleased you speak in parables and preaching that seems as madness to them, yet is salvation to those who believe. Such things are too great for us to comprehend.
Confession: So, our confession is that we daily ponder the wonders of your love. We believe in all that you have done and shall yet do. Though many stumble and laugh at our message and are condemned in their rebellion, we will yet confess you and all that is true.
Thanksgiving: Father thank you for giving us your word and wisdom as a treasure. You have renewed our hearts to love knowledge and understanding of you. You are a shield to all who walk in your integrity. Thank you for guarding our paths and watching over our ways and times.
Supplication: Give us now greater understanding of virtue, justice, fairness and every good way for wisdom to enter our hearts and minds. For all of this is pleasing to you.
Deliver us from the evil around us and those who rejoice in doing it. May Christ be glorified in and through our lives, as we live in proof of you to a lost and dying world; amen. †
01-22-2023 #189—Sermon Passage, 1 Samuel 25:23-44 “Discerning and Beautiful”
Adoration: O’LORD our God, how beautiful is your name. We praise you always, for our souls are moved to worship. We boast in you for all you have done.
Let the world in its noisy rebellion, hear our praises, and know that you are God alone—there is no other. You O’God, are perfectly holy, righteous, and blameless in every judgment. You are merciful as your choosing so allow. Your forgiveness, care and faithfulness to your beloved are beyond measure.
All guilt of every wrong thought and deed, is upon us, your servants, and the enemies of your realm. Yet you give ear to our pleadings and compassion in our ponderances. You suffer our doubts, inconsistencies, and flaws. In loving mercy, you frustrate our efforts to save ourselves. Through our trials, restore our sanity and humble our proud hearts.
You know the worthless deeds of the enemy, no matter their disguises. They abuse power and intellect. They deceive the weak minded with persuasive words. Their evil thoughts and plans are not hidden from you. You see clearly their foul and dishonest ends.
For having no life or wisdom within, they cannot see their corruption, so they trod joyfully over all that is good, beautiful, and true. The perfected hatred of you O’God, is their goal. Their predatory passions are never satisfied.
Still, O’LORD you forgive the trespass of your servants. You make certain the house of your beloved and they serve only you, both in peace and war. Wickedness is not found in them where your Spirit dwells.
When your enemies rise-up against your beloved—who are under your care—in house of the living, you shall hurl them into utter darkness, as rocks slung out from the hollow.
When the morning light blinds them forever, they shall see nothing but justice earned. When you return the evil of the Evil-One back upon his house, he and his children shall dissolve in the abyss, forever.
So, we shall sing your praises now and evermore: “Blessed be the Lord who avenges all the insults and offences of the enemy against the Him. Blessed be the LORD who gives patience to his servants, that they may see the glorious day of his vengeance.”
Confession: Father, we shall not neglect the confession of our sins—we know our guilt; it is real—loathsome and dismal. So too, we will not neglect the confession of our faith, our trust in you—your magnificent love, grace and mercy. It is real—beautiful and bright; the shape of our souls in your hands.
Thanksgiving: Father, thank you for your kindness to us, even when we are unthankful and thoughtless, and when we neglect to show others the grace and compassion you have shown to us.
Thank you for your goodness to us. Your gifts are beyond our understanding and your mercy gives us pause. Our hearts are overwhelmed with gratitude and praise.
With authentic appreciation and true gratitude, may we make right any offenses we have done, may we ponder every thought, word, and action before it is given out; that the outcome might please you.
Supplication: Remind us daily O’LORD of who we are when we imagine our deeds have become our salvation. You alone rescue the lost and dying. Keep us humble by any measure, for you know the depths of our pride. Let not our emotions ever replace our patience, reasoning, or compassion.
Give us strength to endure a hard yet wonderful providence. In and for Christ we pray, amen. †
01-29-2023 #190—Sermon Passage, 1 Samuel 26 “David shows mercy again”
Adoration: O’LORD, our eternal God and Savior, we are the workmanship of your hands, the abode of your Spirit. We belong to you, serve you, worship you; no other shall we adore. When you go out before us, we no longer fear.
When we plead our case to you, you listen. You lift us up, so we can turn away from our sin. You give us passage, humble our hearts and make us soldiers of virtue. You are our strength and our courage through adversity and hardship. Our militance shall serve your glory.
O’God, how merciful you are to us—the wretched. You have captured us, corrected our errors—healed our wounds, and cleansed us within. In robes of white and crowns of gold, you have adorned your people. We depend on your mercy and grace and await your great hand of justice.
That by your decree, the worthy in your hands and the worthless in their own, shall all stand before you. Both forgiveness and vengeance are yours O’LORD. All reckoning and all kindness belong to you.
You have rescued your beloved, even some at the end. In due time, the foot of your enemy shall slip. Their calamity adjoins them and your imminent judgment rushes upon them.
For you O’LORD are a God of recompense. You will fully repay the wages of your adversary. Your vengeance against those who hate you, who have decimated your temple and trampled on your mercies, is soon to pass.
For you have declared: “I shall punish these people and their nations. I shall avenge myself for the things they have done against me. When I sharpen my flashing sword, and my hand takes hold upon justice, I will render vengeance on my adversary, and repay him who hates me.
I am the Lord, God of hosts; the Mighty-One of Israel, and I shall be relieved of my adversary and avenge myself on my foes. Their nakedness will be uncovered, their shame and depravity also will be exposed. I will take vengeance. I will not spare even one, no, not one shall escape.”
And your beloved sing: “Shine forth O’Great God; for you are jealous, avenging and wrathful. You have reserved your wrath for your enemies but your love—for your beloved. Blessed be the LORD our God who was and is and shall forever be. Blessed are his mercies and his judgments.”
Confession: And we who love you will confess it, and so too, our offenses against you. We will acknowledge our transgressions, not to retreat in horror, but to fall upon your many graces.
O’Father, your forgiveness gives us repose. We turn away from our wandering desires. The battle takes a tole but you have given escape: Christ has sheltered us from your righteous wrath, and we confess him, both morning and evening—evermore come our praises of victory.
Thanksgiving: Thank you O’Lord for your strong and tender salvation. Thank you for entering this fallen valley and drawing out from the hoard an heirloom, the gift of the Father as the right of the Son.
Thank you, O’LORD, for your intercession and eternal love: for you have done everything you have determined to do.
Supplication: May we serve you in peaceful abandon; without worry of tomorrow. May our sacrifices to you, be a broken spirit and a contrite heart; for you will not despise such an offering.
May your reputation be glorified in our submission, our love of you and of those before us. May we cherish Christ and be content in him above all else forever; amen. †
02/12/2023 #191—Sermon Passage, 1 Sam 28:3-25, Ps. 50 “Saul looks for answers”
Adoration: O’Gracious Father—who sits enthroned above, you O’Spirit, most humble and mighty God—summon the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting. Out of the heart of glory, you shine forth in perfect beauty and terror. Majestic and regal: a consuming fire and a mighty tempest go out before you. Who can stand near you and survive?
You speak and all of creation shutters. You call to the heavens above and to the earth below and weigh every soul according to your righteousness. You will not keep silent but when silence serves.
The heavens declare your goodness, for you are God—Judge—Slayer…the Great and Humble Lamb. From within your covenant, your faithful one’s rise, praise and draw near to you with assurance.
Yet still in the world, you harken them: “Hear, O my people, and I will speak; O’Israel, I will testify against you. I am God, your God. Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you; your burnt offerings are always before me. I will not accept a bull from your house or goats from your folds.
For every beast of the forest and the cattle on a thousand hills belong to me. All the wild birds and all that moves in the field, is mine.
If I were hungry, I would not ask you for anything, for the world and all of its fullness are mine. Do you think I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats? Offer to me a sacrifice of thanksgiving; perform your vows before me, and call upon me in your day of trouble; then I will deliver you, and you will glorify me.”
But to the wicked you say: “What right have you to recite my statutes or take my covenant on your lips? For you hate discipline, and you cast my words behind you. If you see a thief, you are pleased with him, and you keep company with adulterers.
You are always ready to speak evil and you never hesitate before lying. You sit and speak against your brother. You slander your own mother's son. These things you have done, and I have been silent, so you have thought that I was like you.
But now I will take you to task and layout my charges against you. Listen to this, you who ignore me, or I will tear-you-apart and there will be no one to save you. Giving thanks is the sacrifice that glorifies and honors me. To one who orders his way rightly, I shall surely spare.”
Confession: O’Father, we confess, that when it seems you have not answered, we have sought other remedy—things and means, that are worthless and futile.
We have disguised our motives from others and forgotten that you see the heart. Forgive us our transgressions O’God—our ugliness at the heart of beauty and our weak and fleeting faith.
Thanksgiving: LORD God, receive now the earnest substance of our thanks. Thank you for loving us, drawing us out of the hoard, and making Christ our covenant—his life and death our deliverance.
Thank you for forgiving us our sins. Thank you for everlasting truth and eternal living joy.
Supplication: Father, make us now to be truthful in all ventures with conscience free and honest. Help us to seek remedy in you, by your Word and wise counsel; doing what seems right by reason and wisdom—as you give.
Give us not over to our own devices, nor let our paths grow darkened by hollow faith. Be our guide at every turn and make clear our home port in darkest night. In Christ—by the covenant of grace—amen. †
02/19/2023 #192—Sermon Passage, 1 Sam 29 “A Way to Escape”
Adoration: O’Father God—Savior and Spirit of Glory, bring to yourself praise and eminence for all things. We honor and adore you O’God.
All the wonders of your mighty hand show everywhere and in everything; in creation, in the Word, in all that is seen and unseen. You are not the God of fools and transgressors but of those who respect, love, and obey you. They are righteous because of you.
Blessed be you O’God of our salvation. You are our deliverance from death and safe passage through an imminent and tragic world. Though in it, yet not of it, out of it we come.
We are no more its children, but yours. For you set the ways and boundaries of all things. From all that we are spared, in all that we endure and amid all that enfolds in upon us, you are our Rock of escape.
O’LORD, as a matter of conscience, we are subject to those who govern; for they are established and exist by your authority. Though their edicts may be evil, you are our God and we respect the way in which you move. We shall honor you alone in all that we do, and pay all that that is required of us; respect and honor, to whom it is due.
Still, always our spirits are in your hands, as you are in us. For to those, who in perseverance do good, seeking glory, honor, and immortality, you shall give eternal life. Whoever serves you must follow you. For your servants will be where you are; to obey you in all things.
Because you live and are truly Life, we shall be upright and virtuous; especially so amid our enemies. Though they are blind, they will see whom it is we serve. They will find in us only that which they already hate. Though we will stand blameless—having done nothing dishonorable, they will yet loath us as they do you.
O Lord, God of our salvation, we cry out to you day and night. Let our prayers come up before you; incline your ear to our cries! For our souls do feel forsaken in troubles, as our lives draw near to death.
We know like all, we shall die, yet not to descend but to rise-up; for our life is there, in you. Our prayers O’Father, come always before you; our hearts are open to you. From morning to evening, we look up.
We embrace the way you lead us. Your steadfast love and faithfulness are bound about our necks and written on our heart. You have brought peace to those who were far off and to those who were near. The peace you have given us, is added to us. You give us to know you—your favor and your goodness surround us.
The peace you give to us, is not like that of the world. Our trust rests in you. We will not fear anything which you have overcome; nor forget your love in troubled times. For you have conquer the world and swept away its power.
Confession: So, we confess all our ways to you O’God; our apprehensions and our transgressions; yet more-so, our confidence in you O’LORD, Creator of heaven and earth. We trust in all that you have done and shall yet do.
That you came to us a man; lived a perfect life, took our sins upon yourself and died the death we had earned. You descended to your faithful dead and freed them from the shadows. You resurrected—rose to the Father’s right hand and from there, shall return to judge the living and the dead.
We trust in God the Holy Spirit, your universal church, our unity as your chosen, the forgiveness of our sins and the resurrection of our bodies to life everlasting.
Thanksgiving: Thank you O’Father for calling us into one body, where the peace of Christ dwells and surpasses all understanding. Thank you for guarding our hearts and minds. We are grateful that you have not given us a spirit of fear but of power, love and self-control. Thank you for truth and justice and for all that is to soon take place.
Supplication: We ask now strengthen our resolve to trust in you with all of our heart, mind and soul. Help us to lean on you rather than ourselves. Give us constant reassurance for we are needful and in anguished without it. If our trust is not enough, please help us to have enough. We know that if we can have true confidence in you—all things are possible.
So, to you our eternal King, who is immortal, invisible, the only God—be honor and glory for ever-and-ever, amen. †
02/26/2023 #193—Sermon Passage, 1 Sam 30 “Strengthened in the LORD”
Adoration: O’LORD God, you are now, have always been and shall ever be, LORD of lords and King of kings—our Creator, Savior, and Sustainer. Your Kindness and great virtues assure us. For we are now at ease to speak with you freely, that by the words of our Lord you will know our hearts.
With humility and awe—in Christ, we come directly to you. With reverence, reason, and trepidation we present our pleas. We have raised our voices and wept above the noise of our struggles. Our strength fades into dreams, and our feeble mutterings into non-sense.
We come to you out of bitter times and though the Lord speaks for us, forgive us our lack of elegance. We plead always in hope and anticipation of your goodness and accord. Keep us then from stumbling over wrong desires, as those who run in darkness. For our true strength is now in you, O’God our Father.
Your mercy has put an end to the distance between us. The Holy has made noble the desolate. The wretched have become hallowed through your forbearance.
To know that you hear us and listen to our case O’God, is a delight to our souls. We once lived in darkness with darkened thoughts but you pierced through it and renewed our troubled hearts. Now in you, we see all that our hearts have desired.
Such grace and mercy are beyond understanding, yet we grasp hold of it as a child to their mother, and the misery of our endurance fades to the back. For you cover us in assurances that flow down from above. Even in the face of immanent death, your mercies in Christ surround us, your very Spirit transforms us.
In the day we called out to you, you answered us; made us bold with confidence in you and strengthened our souls come what may. You set us upon a path to pursue, overcome and destroy the works of our foe.
In his own courts and strongholds, you struck him down, and all who fought against you were returned to dust. All the wicked and worthless will understand whom it is they fought.
Confession: Father, forgive us yet our sins though we are justified in Christ. We confess that our depravities yet injure us and others.
Forgive us when we think ourselves more honorable than those you did not send out; for we are born of the same house.
Forgive us for when we have thought our knowledge to be a prize we earned, rather than a commission of duty, greater humility, and greater trepidation.
For you give to your little ones everything they need. If greater knowledge and understanding, then greater weight to carry.
Thanksgiving: So, in retrospect of all our blessings, it seems to feeble minds that our thanks and adoration are never enough. Yet our words of gratitude surely match our hearts. You alone know O’Lord, you alone know all things.
Supplication: We pray Father, bring to our thoughts our daily blessings, that we should not stumble over momentary trials. Build our faith into an impenetrable fortress in which sling and arrow, sword and spear cannot find purchase.
Be deeply engrained in the trenches of our minds, that every thought and act will be captive to your glory. Bring us always to the place you have prepared in Christ, amen. †
03/12/2023 #194—Sermon Passage, 1 Peter 3:18-20 “The Decent of Christ”
Adoration: O’God, we praise you from our inmost being, our souls that you have formed, worship your holy name. The good things you give to us, we shall not forget. You are with us in hard times and there with us in the dark. You have forgiven our sins and redeemed our lives from the pit.
O’God, we cannot heal ourselves but you heal and restore us. You crown us with steadfast love, mercy, and compassion. You satisfy our needs with good things and restore us as though a young eagle.
You O’Lord, are just and you work righteousness for our sake. Death and iniquity surround us, yet our hope is never shattered. For you are compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in love.
Your ways are higher than ours and your kindness is renowned. You show all mankind that you are God. It is evident to them, because you have made known your deeds.
They are without excuse, for ever since the creation of the world your eternal power and divine nature have been clearly perceived in the things that have been made. Yet who has honored you? Who has held on to you? Who has thanked you? With futile thinking and foolish darkened hearts, they adore what they create and despise their Creator.
And you rightly find fault with the guilty and unrepentant. Your wrath is harbored against those who insult your righteousness and offend your purity. Your fury and anger are rightly proven against the wicked forever. Yet not so for the elect. For you do not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.
As high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is your love for those who fear you, and esteem your holy name. As far as the east is from the west, so far have you removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so you have compassion upon those who fear you.
For you know how we are formed, and you remember that we are dust. Our mortal lives are set. Our days are like the grass and flower of the field. We flourish for a time; the wind passes over us, and we are gone; this place considers us no more. But from everlasting to everlasting, your life is weaved in upon us. Your love and mercy surround us—both body and soul.
Those who honor you, with whom you covenant, who remember your precepts and trust in your ways, know you have established your throne in the heavens, and your kingdom—rules over all.
So, from the depths of our souls we bless you. With the mighty angles who obey you and do your bidding, we praise you. For all things are under your domain. You shake the earth and under the earth as well, saying: “It is finished!”
You have harrowed the pit and broke it apart. You save the faithful in glorious march—victory from the bonds of death… O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting? Those who trust in you, you will never forsake nor abandon. You redeem all that is yours.
Confession: You have made our confessions true. From out of the soul, we confess your life, death, and resurrection. All that you are, is fully upon us. We are yours and you are ours. You O’Lord—are our confession.
Thanksgiving: With thankful hearts our souls praise you O’Lord. We give thanks, for you have given us victory over sin and death. We thank you in all circumstances; for peace, salvation, eternal life and your soon return.
Supplication: LORD, you have made us righteous in Christ. Your eyes are upon us. Your ears are open to our prayers. Help us then, to seek all that is precious to you: The enduring beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, unity of purpose, sympathy, brotherly love, tender hearts, and humble minds. Help us to exercise grace toward one-another, that our prayers will not be hindered.
Help us to bless and not to harm. Renew our minds daily and keep us aware of our every thought and deed. Help us to quiet our hearts before our tongues speak evil or deceit. Help us be zealous for what is good even if we should suffer for righteousness' sake.
We know the sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. So, we thank you always O’God, for you have given us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. May we honor Christ as our Lord in everything—finding it better to suffer for what is good, rather than do any evil in harm of our witness. Amen. †
03/19/2023 #195—Sermon Passage, Psalm 85 “Revive Us Again”
Adoration: LORD God—our shield and our strength, bread of life and Spirit of truth, you see and know all O”LORD, past and future.
We always see what-was more clearly than what-is, and the future, as only shadows. Our sins have weighed us down, injured our perceptions and brought us uncertainty. But your mercy O’God—lifts our sins from off our souls, frees us from our burdens and open our eyes to see.
Our sin, repugnant and foul, was a stain we could not cleanse. Yet your mercy hid it and us in Christ who has borne it, and carried it away. Under the cover of love, every spot and wrinkle has been obscured and wonderfully hidden from sight. We lament over it, but you do not. For we are no more an affront to heaven.
O’LORD, you are gracious and good. You have not dealt with us in your fierce anger against our rebellion, but have poured out your fury upon our Savior, to satisfied justice. Though we complain of a hard providence, our memory of your mercies—restoration—forgiveness, and peace—enfold us, and we know well your great compassion toward us.
O’LORD, all the earth belongs to the you and all the heavens are your courts. You own and rule over all. You judge and destroy the wicked, yet your give favor to your people forever. Our longing for the new and restored land, is always our lament. It is before you day and night. Yet, your plan for our good is our comfort. You are faithful to your covenant—O’God of our salvation. You revive us, and love those who fear you. Our hearts are entrenched in you and your Word is our hope and glory. We shall never return to our madness nor the distractions of the world. We are captivated by your beauty—the merging of Love, Faith, and Peace. Your righteousness O’LORD, comes down to us from above.
Confession: Always in sorrow, we confess our sins—yet we rejoice, that the iniquity which hindered peace and separated our bond, is gone now forever. In Christ, forgiven and settled, you delight now in our innermost being. For you have given us a way to trust and taught us wisdom in the secret heart.
Thanksgiving: O’LORD, we enter your gates with shouts of thanks and your courts with songs of worship. Hear then our tidings and blessing of joy. Your steadfast love and faithfulness endure forever; for you are always good.
Receive our praise O’Rock of our salvation. We give all thanks to you and bless your holy name. In every word and every deed; we will tell the world of your wonderful works of righteousness.
Supplication: Yet Lord, so our reward is true, help us to never practice virtue only to be seen by others. Help us to never be pretenders, who make a big noise over our good deeds—in want of the praise of others.
And when we give, let it be that our left hand knows nothing of what our right has done in secret. For we know Father, that you see in secret and all that the heart esteems. So too, may our prayers be hidden with our fellowship and in the secret place where you are.
Father, keep us now from all evil, and keep our lives close to yours, as we go out into the world and return-again. For your glory and our life in Christ we pray, amen. †
03/26/2023 #196—Passage, Rev. 5:9-10 “God Knows & Loves every Languages”
Adoration: O’LORD Father, your kindness and mercy have shown us your tender heart. We abide in you and you in us. You have given us your Son and sent us your Spirit. You watch over our souls and comfort us in our trials. Your everlasting love always assures us.
O’Creator, Crafter of worlds and nations: By your Word all-things and everything is framed for your glory. You—who are all knowing—know every thought of man and love all his languages; especially, the secret language of the heart. Your love breaks through the barriers of dialect and the fetters of culture. Your message is clear us—to whom you give knowledge. We are one with you and one-together.
Before the foundations of the world were laid, you loved us and planned our pilgrim journey. The days and places we roam, are in your hands. We are not our own, for we are yours. Because you first loved us, we love. Because you gave us life, we live.
Where we your children gather O’Lord, there you are. With one-another and the armies of heaven, we sing: Holy, Holy, Holy is our Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come. You have established a kingdom of priests for your glory. We are all-together in awe of your love and justice. We wait for the final war. Then, you will rip apart the garment and remove the mixed and mingled threads. You will separate the fabric of the world from its evil weave and make all things right. Come Lord Jesus, we long for your return.
Confession: Until then, O’God, hear our confessions of sin in sorrow. So too, our confession of belief and trust. We confess our great desires: to honor you in our homes and daily ventures; to teach our children and those in our charge; to walk in the light of your authority and to bring integrity to your name in all that we think, say, and do.
Thanksgiving: Thank you Father, for redemption and reconciliation in Christ. Thank You O’Spirit, you restore us and ensure our perseverance. You strengthen us to endure whatever may come. We thank you O’LORD—for your wonderful display of power in salvation and the re-formation of lives.
Thank you, Lord—our Advocate. You stand before the Father adorned in righteousness—where you intercede and plead our case. Thank you for your sacrifice which atoned for the sins of all who believe.
Supplication: Give us now, we pray—stronger resolve and greater command of belief; that we may show our devotion by how we have kept your commands. May our lives in all aspects, show renewed minds in Christ. Whether you send us out but a few steps or to another continent; make us holy by your word—that it will not return empty, but accomplish all you have determined. As you have commanded, help us to make disciples in every tribe and every nation. For all who call upon you—will not be disheartened.
We praise you O’God our Savior. As it is in heaven, may you be glorified from every plane, on every mountain and in every valley upon the earth—amen. †
04/09/2023 #197—Easter—Passage, 1 Cor. 12-26 “Why Resurrection Maters”
Adoration: LORD God in Heaven, Holy Father, Son, and Spirit—you are almighty God, there is no other; Eternal—Triune—Holy, and Splendid. You are Transcendent—Immanent and Inexplicable: Perfect in beauty—perfect in love—complete in every way. One and three—together ruling with grace, mercy, and justice. You are the One source of all things—yet there is nothing you need. You spoke—and all things formed—fashioned for their purpose. You command what you will, and so it becomes.
In your eternal love and wisdom O’God you knew all your little ones. You determined our course from before the world was set afire and the structures of the earth arose. Though in shame we fell beneath the waters, in love, you gave us your Son, who willingly came forth for our sake, obedient, omnipotent, and free.
O’LORD, our simple minds can capture only-but-a-hint of your glory; yet enough to reveal our-troubled-state. For our wounded minds, doleful words, and unfolding visions—are inadequate means to praise you fully. Our attempts to form proper thoughts and sufficient passions are leaden and dull, every effort—falling short of your acclaim. Yet we shall speak of you as you have taught us, that the world may come to know you better.
Still, like infants yearning for a mother’s embrace, a father’s strength, and a place of shelter, we delight in all that you do. Receiving mercy by providence, trusting in your provisions, desiring life, and peace from depth of need, you adorn us in righteousness and goodness. For you do all things for the good of those who love you. You show us yourself in unimagined ways. Though content in you now, you shall forever open our hearts and build our intellect—that we would know you at greater depth and enjoy you ever more. Yet for now, can we only dream—and see in portion of what beauty will come. Your splendor—will give us everlastingly ascent.
Confession: O’Father, our confession of truth, peace, and forgiveness is dear to us: For our Lord was conceived by Holy Spirit to the sweet-virgin whom he formed. She bore him into the world, and for a while, his home was here, in this place of ruin. He endured sorrow, suffering, and death to serve justice and the dire-price of peace. He took our sins onto himself and covered us in his perfection. In his boundless love, he made us his pure and beautiful bride.
For all of this—our sin and his love—he was crucified, dead, and buried. He went down into the depths of the dead, and from there arose to prove God’s favor, his victory, and our faith. He rose to the Father’s side—Almighty-God-in-heaven. From there, on the secret day, he will return to judge every spirit—living and dead. His people-his-church, shall persevere to the rising—the resurrection of the body—and life-everlasting. In all this, we believe and rejoice.
Thanksgiving: Thank you, O’Lord Messiah—for death-our-enemy has fallen and we celebrate—giving you thanks and tribute. You were the first to rise and we shall be next—you know whom you have chosen. Thank you for your glorious victory over the Evil-One. Your victory is ours—we are forever grateful.
Supplications: Help us now O’Lord, to live well, grow wise and to trust in you more for all things. Make us a blessing to others. May our outer-and-inner person show true. Help us remove all pretense from our ways—that we might show you to the world as you are.
Give us wisdom, strong resolve, and presence of mind to live and die well. Train our hearts in courage, kindness, and courtesy. Increase our desire for your virtue and make us a blessing to the world—yet keep us always fierce in battle.
Because you live, may we live in this place with confidence.
Because you suffered, may we walk through our suffering.
Because you conquered death and rose out of the grave, may we never fear it, but look through the mist and shadows, to see our lives there, deep within your glory.
Christ has risen from the dead—our Lord has risen. The tomb is empty. Upper Sheol is abandoned. The Evil-One has fallen and heavens angles rejoice. Glory and power to Christ forever and ever, amen. †
04/16/2023 #198 Intro to the Gospel of John
Adoration: O’LORD—our Strength—our Teacher—our Comforter, Blessed God, King of Kings and only Ruler: You are our Sovereign—our Creator and our Sustainer—God of Peace and Bread of life. You are holy and your name is above all names: Abba Father—True Vine—Spirit of Holiness.
Your goings forth are from long ago, from the days of eternity. You are before all things, and in you O’Lord—all things hold together. You are the first and the last, the beginning and the end. You are from and with the Father. Our Fathers have heard your voice, looked upon you, and touched you—(the Word of Life) with their hands.
So it is, that we too have seen you, testify of you and proclaim you to the world. You have shown life eternal to the dead and have captured the living in your hands. You have placed your right hand upon us, saying, “I am the living One, do not be afraid. I was dead, yet behold, I am alive evermore, and I hold in my hands the keys of death and the abyss.
All of us like sheep had gone astray. Each one of us turned to his own way; But you O’Lord, caused the iniquity of us all to fall upon You. For you made us for yourself. Not from any need, but for the love and joy you give to us. We are children in your image, to reflect you, be like you, and enjoy you without end.
We are not our own and we praise you for it. Our restless hearts find rest in you only. For you are life and you are truth—the Rock from which living water flows. Our sojourn-home is in your presence O’Shepherd of our salvation.
Confession: We confess our sins daily and daily you forgive us our sins. For we can never do what is truly good, nor make right our debts to you. You and you only are the brightness of the Father’s glory. We are no longer a natural people but have the Spirit of renewal. Our sufficiency is in and from you alone. Without you we can do nothing.
Thanksgiving: We thank you, that you have adopted us into your covenant family; followers—believers by your will which is now ours too. We thank you that you always hear our prayers; for we know, that we have nothing without your gifts to us—we are content to rely upon you. Your grace and mercy alone are our source of thanksgiving and trust.
Supplications: Give us this day—and in all our days, your bread of life; to sustain, to encourage, and be hope to us. Help us for the sake of true-love, to abandon the momentary things of the world: self-interests over interest in others, illusions of success above true success and the pursuit of happiness rather than character.
Grant us wisdom to make the most of every moment for your sake. Remind us daily what is means to serve other as you have served us. May our brief lives be honorable because you are honorable. May you cause us to live in such a way that everything we do brings honor and glory to your name. May our countenance communicate grace and our hope prove appealing –that the lost will ask: “What is this hope in a world of sorrow? “It is Christ and him alone,” we shall say, amen. †
04/23/2023 #199 Passage, John 1:1 The Divine Word-Prolog
Adoration: Father-God—our Shepherd and Redeemer of souls, we call out to you in humble approach, to praise, confess, thank, and ask for your countenance upon us. If your way is in us, your Son has approved us. For our salvation He came down from heaven; Light from Light—God from God, our strength and perfection—in whom we dwell and have our being.
You O’Lord, are from all eternity—full of Grace and truth; Maker of heaven and earth. Before either void or form, you were. You spoke, and at once both the hollow and elements appeared. You shaped each by command from above the waters of the deep—and all goodness leapt into existence: In obedience, the stars in their orbits and the universe in its circle, stretched out. The earth, sun, and moon settled in their places and man looked upon his home—your majestic decree—a perfect display of glory and splendor.
By your word the heavens were made and by the breath of your mouth—all their hosts. From the dust of the ground, you formed man; and by your breath of life—he became a living being—innocent and pure. Yet by his own accord, he turned away to ruin. Still, in steadfast love, you suffered to sing truth and peace to all who could hear. And from the spoil, you delivered all who turned and trusted. You made righteous the unrighteous and stayed forever death eternal.
Apart from you O’Lord, nothing was made that has been made. With power, justice, and truth, you shall wipe clean the mire restore beauty to the disfigured and reunite the divided. You alone O’Lord are preeminent in all things. For no one makes us children of God but God himself. From the Father’s thrown, through the Son and by the Holy Spirit…to those who believe, the is given right to become children of God.
Confession: In Joy we confess our belief in one God, Father, Son, and Spirit. We confess with sorrow that we have and yet do sin. But Christ has justified us in himself by his works before you O’Father. Our repentance is by his grace and his mercy restores us daily.
Thanksgiving: Our thankfulness is from the depths of the souls you have redeemed. Thank you, O’Lord our God, High Priest before the thrown of God who has dealt with all our iniquities, weaknesses, and needs.
We are thankful for your power and work in our lives. Thank you for your goodness and blessings untold. You are our hope and our strength through difficult times. You are always with us and will never leave us, so, we shall endure. We give you all praise and thanks, for you alone are worthy!
Supplications: We pray, strengthen us now for your purposes. Help us to enclose ourselves in robes of truth, peace, and hope. Open our hearts and eyes throughout our sojourn and renew our spirits daily. Morning and night, in our waking and our sleep, fill our minds with your Word and increase our dependence upon you. In Christ we trust—through him we pray, amen. †
04/30/2023 #200 Passage, John 1:1-5 The Majesty of Christ “Prolog”
Adoration: Gracious Father, Savior—King, Sanctifier of our souls—O’God: All glory and honor belong to you. All things are from your hand; nothing outshines your presence. You are the Beginning and the End. All things are dull in contrast to you.
All beauty is from your beauty. There is nothing more Exquisite, nothing Purer, and nothing as Magnificent. The dreams and visions of men can only—at great distance—imagine your splendor—the fulness of which belongs to you only, our Triune God.
You spoke your will, and it was so. In an instant, the heavens and earth formed. Below you, all of heaven with its armies and all of earth with its creatures burst upon the scene; praising God from whom all blessings flow. In you alone is Life and light, beauty and wisdom, joy and wonder, wholeness, and delight.
Indeed—you made everything in perfect order and finished purpose. All things precise—all things whole—seamless and resolved. Hence, you made man in your image, alive with beauty and virtue. You formed him out of the dust—and in him, all mankind. You gave life and light to flesh and soul.
Even so, out of awakened desire—and the turning of his heart, he brought forth sin and disobedience. He embraced the darkness of joyless—dismal death; and descended from fellowship to solitude, peace to disquiet, and from ease to hardship. His brilliance faded, his virtues ebbed, and his beauty dulled—cast off into the shallows. From darkness of heart and corrupted longings, he formed for himself—chaos, disorder, and madness.
Then you—God’s final Word spoken, pure and humble, surged through and ruptured the darkness. No greeting came to you but death, no salute but the stones gathered to throw and no embrace but that of a cross.
Still the darkness could not overcome your splendor, but rolled back before you. The blackness of sorrow—bathed in light. And the Prophets yet cry out: “Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might, he increases strength.”
Confession: Father, from the depths of our being, we confess Jesus as our Lord and Savior, and not so from natural reasoning, but by the power of your love, O’God. We confess our awe and wonder for what he has done for us. Yet we are still weakened by an inclination to wander. We confess that our imperfect faith clouds our thoughts.
For when we pray, when we ask for the desires of our hearts, it is hard to look beyond the pain. When we pray for one thing—it is always against another. You have known every sorrow, so, we know you hear our weeping, our pleas for help and our arguments. For the world drops trouble upon us daily. In anger, it bears a grudge against us. Disease, violence, and the evil of men surround us, and move in upon us.
Horror and dismay enter our dreams and a raging wind and tempests beat down. So, our confession includes our plea: “Deliver us from evil O’Lover of our souls.”
Thanksgiving: Nevertheless, in all things, we are truly—truly thankful. Your grace is sufficient—your promises are true. We praise you in our hearts and with our tongues.
You comfort our souls and we are thankful. Even in the middle of death, we are grateful. That your love always covers us and your will is for our good, gives us hope and a path to you.
Supplications: Give now an ear to our prayers O’LORD, our pleas for mercy are before you day and night. Help us to pray as we should, that our prayers are a delight to you and our obedience a joy.
Grant us our requests if you will, and help us with joyful heart, to reason through their denial.
May our desires meet up with yours in fullest and trustiest submission.
In Christ, we pray, amen. †
05/14/2023 #201 Passage, John 1:19-34 Sermon Title: The Trifold Witness”
Adoration: LORD God, our King—Creator—Source of all Virtue and Purity: You are Life, Love, Righteousness and Truth; there is no other. Great shame and reproof—upon all challengers. Their delusions are born of sin and so—their judgment. They are deaf and blind. Yet, we hear your perfect silence and deafening call; both give brilliance and fellowship to those who love you.
The world in distain and pointless affront, demands to know what we say of ourselves—they are disingenuous—and we shall offer them only our silence. Yet about the glory of God, we will cry out in humble refrain: “Our unholy warfare has ended, our iniquity is pardoned. The Lord himself has atoned for our wickedness. He has appeased the Father’s wrath against us in double measure. By his works and his suffering, he has resolved our great debt. By his love, he makes all things new.”
Yet still, from ancient of days to even this moment, a voice cries out in the wilderness: “Prepare the desert for the way of the Lord; make straight a path for our God. For every valley shall be lifted high, and every mountain and hill, made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh together, shall see it, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
The Word of God stands forever. Along with him, we cry out: “All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field. When the breath of the LORD blows upon it, the grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of our God shall stand forever.”
O’Lord, Son of God and Son of man, you stand among your chosen. The Spirit, like a dove, has descended from heaven to baptize his little ones. The Lord calls them; they hear his voice and they follow. He makes them his hands and feet. His sorrow and theirs has turned to joy. The world has no part in it.
Confession: We confess O’Lord, that although we should not be troubled, nor doubt in the face of your assurance; our sin troubles us and our doubts haunt us. Yet our disbelief has turned to trust and our trust to wonder-and-worship.
For you have shown us yourself and so we have seen the father. You have given your life for us—our salvation is assured. Surely, whoever believes in you is not condemned, but those who will not, are condemned already. For they do not believe in your name—the Father’s only Son.
Thanksgiving: Thank you for the Light that has come into the world, though people love their blindness—our eyes are fixed upon you. We have seen plainly what we have done in your sight O’God, and are thankful that only you can take away our sins and those of the world. Thank you for giving us the courage to no longer fear our sins exposed. For by your mercy and grace, we live.
Supplications: Forgive us again every day we pray, and when we grow restless in the silence, help us to hear the Father’s Final Word—our Lord. May we hear every tone and nuance of his voice. May it resonate in our words, thoughts, and dreams. May all creation be shaken to the core by its sound and may the proud be reduced to nothing. Humble our hearts and help us to always speak the truth in love. We ask all things in Jesus Christ, our Lord, amen. †
05/21/2023 #202 Passage, John 1:35-51 Sermon Title: “Come and see”
Adoration: Our Father in Heaven, praise, honor, and glory be to you, to your beloved Son our Lord, and to your Eternal Spirit who dwells in us, evinces love—joy and peace; manifest patience, kindness, and goodness; gives rise to our faithfulness, and bring about gentleness and self-control. Against such things, the law can compete nor cause us to do what truly honors you.
For in mind—heart and body, we are yours. Our souls wander in foreign lands but our home is with us—and ever before us. Our eyes have opened to see the true Lamb of God. The blindness of our hearts has fallen away. The noise of the desert winds and the oppressive heat, have calmed.
His voice, softly-and-clearly—soothing-and-familiar, moves through the clamor of our angst, to give us new names. To baptize us with Holy Spirit; and see heaven above opened; the angels of God ascending-and-descending on him, who takes our sins away. This is the Son of God—our God, who has given us what we had not pursued—and bids now: “Follow; come to where I am; come and see all you that have not imagined, and more than your dreams have promised. I have called you—and with you, I will call others—even a multitude you cannot perceive.”
Everything good has come to you and found you where you are, even in the depths of depravity from which I have brought you up. For you were dead and could do nothing for yourself but the King of the Universe did not forsake you, and has brought you to his courts to live for all time.
Confession: LORD, we confess our belief in all you have done. Even before the foundations of the world were formed you chose us, you saw us when we were far off and called us to your home. All of this, not for some virtue that we would demonstrate, but for the virtue you demonstrate to the world through your Son.
So, in every dark venue and every clamoring crowd, we shall confess that the light has come, the stillness has spoken and the enemy has fallen. We will confess all you have said, proven and shall yet prove; that what is-and-is-not-yet, are never estranged—but always united in Christ.
Thanksgiving: Our gratitude is here seen—in the condition of our hearts. We do not offer only the words of thanks, but in love, all that you have commanded of us and now see in our hearts. So, in unity, our songs of praise and thanksgiving are never trite but hold every truth we can gather.
Your willing Spirit O’God, is the joy of our great salvation. Our gratitude is now before you. You have shown us that nothing we have earned—remains. We know you will show us greater things than we could hope for.
Supplications: Help us now to comprehend something of what we will be. For death, though conquered, is a frightening thing. Help us to see the fullness of life beyond what looms about us here. For the truth of life eternal is inviting, though deaths’ embrace is yet a sorrow. It encompassed us on all sides and pursues us day and night; but only once, and never again.
Help us we pray, to see more clearly. For our vision is often tunneled and the peripheral dims around us. Our hope is at times is fleeting and a feeling of abandonment fills the night. But we will trust you and always ask that your good pleasure be done in us now and forever, amen. †
05/28/2023 #203 Passage, John 2:1-12 Sermon Title: “The Good Wine”
Adoration: Our Father in heaven you are blessed, righteous, and pure. All honor, glory, and awe are due your name. Every creature owes you homage, worship, and praise. The Lord is mediator before you. He is our priest and king. He is the true prophet and champion of heaven and the Holy Spirit, his great and faithful armor bearer.
LORD, an assault against you is an assault against the eternal. Crimes against you are the highest offense. For an attack on infinite purity, goodness, and beauty is like no other. It is a rebellion of perpetual enmity against the Fount of Love and Righteousness.
It is an incursion of pure wickedness into what is wholesome and good. Eternal justice against an eternal crime of perpetual animosity, brings an eternal sentence and proves as Just for the severity of the offense.
So, at the fulness of time, in the presence of the beloved and the enemy as well, the signs, wonders and warnings came as marvels: to accredit, distinguish, and prove that the Word of Truth had arrived. To give purchase to the prophecies and serve as markers, the herald of reality arisen. All prior illusions must melt away for the Kingdom of God has arrived.
The Bridegroom has come to claim and purify his bride for the wedding celebration. His presence causes our hearts gladness. You have made for us, new and abundant wine, and lavished us in mercy and grace.
O’Son of man, you have come to your beloved in wonderful adornment; sitting, speaking, eating, and drinking at table. Freeing us from the old ways and the façades of virtue. From out of the common waters of man, you have made a rare and pleasant wine of celebration, the shadow of your own life-giving blood.
Confession: We confess O’Lord, that we cannot fathom your choice and we sin when we look to something in us that appealed to you. Why such a great desire for such an unattractive slew?
We were as water in clay jars, earthen vessels, muddled with debris, spirits without flavor. Yet you poured us into stone-vessels to make us something new, flavorful, incorruptible, and pleasing. So, we confess that we are not what we were and not what we shall be. We have seen your marvelous works and we believe.
Thanksgiving: All thanks be to you O’God. You manifest your glory in your people and right every wrong justly. You have made us something mysterious, citizens of grace, people of the way and children of the one true God. Thank you for taking a bride whose beauty is revealed in your home, by your side, and to the world.
Supplications: Lord, we pray, help us to ask for what we should. Teach us to always do what you say. Make us attractive because you are beautiful. Tell us again and again what we ought to do, and we shall do it. Make us tasteful in a tasteless world, and a pleasant fragrance amid the wafting stench.
Help our trust in Christ to grow, we pray, amen. †
08/20/2023 #204—Sermon Passage, 2 Peter 1:3-15
Adoration: Father God, most gracious and merciful, in Christ—through your Spirit, we are purchased. Your glory in creation shines forth through the mire of the fall, nothing can diminish it.
We praise you O’Lord. Your name is a beautiful melody. We proclaim your faithfulness throughout the night, and your beauty and love at dawn.
All your deeds bring us joy. The great works of your hands are exquisite, fearful, and assuring. Your thoughts are vast and full of magnificence. They are precious to your people O God! Even in our lowly estate, your thoughts shape our own.
Confession: Having now, a true view of ourselves, we confess to you our sins—you know them all. Every transgression we have done is overcome by your goodness. Our rebellion and violence are put aside by your peaceful resolve.
Your mercy removes all pride and your value give worth to the empty and hollow soul. We have nothing but our confession of sin to espouse. Nothing in ourselves commends us before you but Christ. He is our confession now and forever. In him, we subsist.
Thanksgiving: Thank you, Father, for the souls you have created and restored from sins’ ruined disfigurement.
You chose to redeem a people for yourself, and to be their God. Thank you for our perseverance in your strength, for the delights of your love and the freedom of eternal passage.
Thank you for your overflowing sweetness; for teaching us the joys of serving others; for empathy, sympathy, courage, and kindness. To your glory, we desire redemption for our enemies and our persecutors alike.
Supplications: Help us now, we pray, to search-out and exercise good judgment in all things.
Bring us conviction when we think our sins too small to offend.
Remind us of the anger you poured out on Christ because of our transgressions.
Help us to obey and be consistent in all things.
Alert us to every evil when we fail to recognize it or misinterpret its presence.
Help us to trust, and be trustworthy.
Help us to fill our words with love, especially as we reprimand.
Increase our passion for your sovereignty and providence in every circumstance we meet.
These things we ask of your Spirit, for your glory O’Father and the glory, honor, and power of Christ, now and forever, amen. †
09/24/2023 #205—Sermon Passage, John 6:16-21
Adoration: O’Father God our Righteousness—Eternal Bread of life—our con’soler and counselor: Hear the callings of the souls you have given a voice. You created all that is and ever shall be. The seas, mountains, and stars above, are your servants. In love, you are restoring all things and everything to the true. And in the heart of love, we—there—reside.
We praise you through our troubles and our calm as well. Speak always your word of life into our ways of death, for our once hardened-hearts still make us dull. Our faith is yet weak and little, and fear yet arises to engulf. Our doubts are a plague, and a menace to your comfort.
Do not pass us by O’Lord but come now to your own. For until you nurtured our minds, raised our spirits, and calmed our rage, we had not understood our poverty, making no headway—painfully, and always against the winds. Our starving and empty state—did muddle our thoughts. We had reeled and staggered like drunken men and were at wits’ end. Our views and perspectives were clouded by the illusions of the world. Its ghosts, and shadows lured our digress, as we sank beneath its waters.
We praise you O’Lord, for you are gracious and merciful. You delivered us from our anguish. You hushed and quieted the waves of the sea and brought our desired haven into view. You brought our thoughts and fears from out of the storm and consoled us, saying: “Take heart—fear not—I am here.”
Confession: And we cannot—but confess: Truly—truly you are God, the Son of God; in whom we believe and have eternal life. So, we will dread no more—nor wonder where to go. We gladly take you in and praise you fully; for you have brought us straight-away to a faraway land. Over and over, we confess that you are LORD. Over and over, our worship shall confess our love and praise of you.
Thanksgiving: Thank you O’Lord: In love you died for us while we were yet sinners and blessed us beyond our hopes. You have not left us as orphans; but have come to us. You have brought us in, and in gratefulness we bring you in with us—again and again.
Out of our distress we called to you with the voice you gave and you answered us. When we mourn, you comfort us. When the concerns of our hearts are many, you console us and cheer our souls.
Supplications: We ask sincerely: Take us with you to the mountain where we may pray, see you clearly, and be glad. Lord, you have saved us, save us always. Teach us to forgive others their trespasses, that we may honor the Father who forgave us. Help us to never cheapen what is so valuable. Help us to pray always with the Spirit of truth, with all requests and supplication for your glory.
And though our outer self is wasting away, help us to not lose heart; for you renew our inner-self day-by-day. We pray all things for the glory and honor of Jesus Christ our Lord; come again O’God to your people, amen. †
10/08/2023 #206—Sermon Passage, John 6:36-44
Adoration: LORD God: Father—Son and—Spirit, we are your beloved from eternal past. In love, you redeemed us from our transgressions. You formed in us faith O’Spirit, through which we are saved. You designed us body and soul, and nourish us with grace and mercy. Lord, you are the true vine and bread from heaven; our only Shepherd, our only Light, and our only hallowed entrance.
You are the life, the truth, and the way. You are He who is First and Last, the great I Am. Before you no god was formed, nor shall there be after you; for you are infinite—unchanging, unsearchable, and unceasing. You sustain us now and forever and satisfy our endless longing to know you.
In the beginning, O’Great and only God, you laid every foundation—start to finish. Every design and power of creation is the work of your hands. The earth, the stars and every creature that burst forth were formed by you, out of nothing. The heavens, the work of your hands—as given, will perish, but you will remain. All things will wear out like a garment. Like a robe you will roll them up; like clothing, you will change them. But your years O’God, have no end, for you are always the same.”
You are He who blots out our transgressions and will not remember our sins; and all of this—for your own sake. That when we have soiled the good you gave—you cleanse it. When we have lied and distorted the truth—you correct us, and when we are fallen deep and low, you lift us up. You shape our intellect and the core of our hearts. You tell us plainly: “Come, let us argue together; set forth your case before me, that you may be proved right.” Yet LORD, all that we can argue for, is your glory in all things.
Confession: We confess with joy O’Son of man, that you are the bread of life. When we glorify the bounty over the hand that gives it, the shadows of our sins arise. So, shine your Light upon us always and everywhere O’Lord. We confess, that you, O’Lamb of God, are our shepherd and our righteousness.
Our confession to the world, is that you shall satisfy everyone who comes to you and trusts you for salvation. From the midst of your throne, you quench our true hunger and thirst; you shelter us in the wilderness from the heat and raging storm; and shall wipe away every tear with springs of living water.
Thanksgiving: Thank you, Father, for your mysterious and invisible work on our behalf even before the foundations of the world were set; and for all that has been done to bring us as a gift—holy and blameless, to your Son our Lord, according to your will.
Your work, is the power behind and within our desire to come to you. You give us an ability to trust—and a will to believe. Thank you for choosing for us, what we would never have chosen for ourselves. Thank you for eternal life in-and-through Christ, our only Prophet, Priest, and King. Those whom he holds, he will never lose.
Supplications: Give us now the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Christ. Restore daily the minds and hearts you have enlightened, that we may better know the hope to which you have called us. Help us to see clearly the riches of his glorious inheritance, immeasurable greatness, and power toward all who believe.
Be with us in fellowship O’Lord, according to your will, and always in our daily remembrance. Yet, for your greater presence—we long.
Come now Lord Jesus, amen. †
10-15-2023 #207—Sermon Passage, 1 Tim. 1:12-17
Adoration: O’Great God in heaven: Father, Son, and Spirit. God of grace, mercy, and peace. You are the foundation of pure hearts, good conscience, and sincere faith. You turn all our myth, endless searching, and speculation—into faith and steadfast love.
Look now upon the little ones whom you bore; hear their pleadings and see their travail. You have tried their hearts, visited them in the night, and tested them in the fires. Find nothing there that displeases you, O’Lord.
For your glory, help our words to never transgress; and hold us fast to the path; that we may overtake the violence of men. For it is you who make our feet like the deer, that we may not slip, but stand secure upon the heights. It is your Word we speak.
You are the God who equips us with strength for the battle, and makes our ways blameless. You train our hands for war, so that our arms can bend the bow and launch the javelin. Yet, your kindness, gentleness, and stillness, give us perseverance.
Still, in your anger, may the earth lurch-and-sway. May the foundations of the mountains tremble-and-quaked, and may the earth melt away. Send forth the mighty steeds, draw us up from beneath the waves, and rescue us according to your delight—your love, and your righteousness. Your virtues are our reward.
In your wrath, you bring down the proud, but in kindness, you save a humble people. You shine your light into the darkness and rescue souls from their death march. And by the fellowship you created with us, we call upon you O’Lord: By your sword, deliver us from wickedness and from men whose portion—is in this life only. Cast down the enemy like mire in the streets, to be crushed beneath your feet. And let the winds disperse him into the abyss—like a fine dust.
Our refuge is in your steadfast love O’Savior. Keep us as the apple of your eye; and hide us in the shadow of your wings. Our love for you—is our strength, O’Lord. You are our fortress and our deliverer—in whom we take refuge. You are our shield and our stronghold—the power of our salvation. We shall behold your face in righteousness; when we awake—we shall be fulfilled in your likeness.
Confession: Father, we confess that we have too often wandered into vain discussions. We have touted the law to others even as your song of grace filled our hearts—and your mercy brought us peace. Yet, your laws are perfect—when perfectly used. For they are not laid down upon the just, but upon the disobedient and ungodly—as we were.
We confess you as our Lord and Shephard. In fellowship you entrusted us with the Word of truth—the glorious gospel. In humble confession, we see our former lives in the willfulness of the lost-and-dying.
Thanksgiving: Thank you, Lord, for the mercy in your strength. For appointing us ambassadors-in-service—despite what we were. Thank you for the grace you lavished upon us; it overflows and informs our every act.
Thank you for coming into the world to save sinners; bringing them out of the ignorant-and-unbelieving hoard. Thank you for restoring useless vessels into vessels for your use. We always marvel in gratitude at what you have done and what you are doing.
Supplication: Help us now, O’Lord, to refrain from upholding anything about you, that is outside our preview. Cause us to practice nothing contrary to sound doctrine—that we may never hinder the faith of others.
Purge us O’Lord, that joy and gladness fill our mouths in praise of your love and beauty. Help us to teach your ways of salvation to wrongdoers; that through contrite hearts, and the bones and spirits you have broken, our mouths may declare the glory of our God.
May all praise—honor—glory, and Power be yours now and forever—O’Great and immortal King. Amen. †
10-22-2023 #208—Sermon Passage, John 6:41-59
Adoration: Almighty God, our Father in heaven, blessed Son, our Bread from heaven, and eternal Spirit, our comfort from heaven: You are the keeper of our souls. All creation declares your glory and the skies above proclaim your workmanship. The voices of day-and-night pour out speech and knowledge throughout all the earth—even to the ends of the world. The starry heavens sing their songs of praise. Your image within us—gives us noble dignity.
You fed us, yet, did we not starve ourselves at the fall? Did we not welcome in the barren desert—and the heat, and the drought of desolation? Our sins and transgressions have covered the land in a blanket of sorrow. All that was good sank in the mire of wayward hearts; and we perished in our hunger and ignorance; and in a torrent of death, so came the waters.
Though we have grumbled against you as malcontent whiners, through long suffering—you still preserved us, fed us, and watched over us. Amid our despair and rejection, you rained down bread from heaven, sweet and pure, as a sign of that to come. Although many have eaten goodness from your hand, they have spit out the best in unbelief. Though they beheld wonderous proofs, they could not perceive what they would not believe.
For unless you feed them O’God, no one will know their hunger. Unless you teach them, no one will know their ignorance. Unless you draw them up into your bosom, no one will, or can, believe. We are taught and trained by you O’Lord, our God. We trust because we know you will raise us again on the last day. By your perfect covenant of grace, we know that whoever believes, has eternal life.
Sent by the living Father—you-live—and we-live because of you. You alone O’Lord are the Bread of Life come down from heaven. You are the Bread that will never perish, spoil, or run out. You are the sweet wine that will never sour. With you in us—and we in you—we are nourished. Our food is pure and perfect eternal-life. For you are not the God of the dead, but of the living.
Confession: So, our confession to the world is true; and all who hear it, will hear the truth. We are delighted to speak all you have said, and as well, to leave all things in your hands.
We confess our poverty O’Lord, and yield to your good and perfect wisdom. Day-in and day-out, we confess-and-confide in you our hope-and-need of your mercies.
Thanksgiving: Thank you O’Lord, for you take care of our everyday needs. You draw us from out of our past, every crime exposed—and absolve us in Christ.
We give thanks for the provisions of your love and the kindness of your mercy. Your grace, is our food. The song of our thankful hearts, will forever fill the unending expanse.
Supplication: Feed us now, we pray as always O’Lord. Be our food upon the way to the true, good, and beautiful land. Help us to display you to the world. Help us to never submit to the guiles of the Evil-One, but to stand with you in firm resolve on every point. Teach us to be always humble, vigilant, kind and giving; and to be meek because of the power of our God.
Give us this day and every-day anew, our life-sustaining bread. May your kingdom, O’God, come fully. For you are the holy and ever-living God, the flesh and blood of eternal life.
Glory to Christ, our Savior, amen. †
10-29-2023 #209—Reformation Celebration
Adoration: O’Lord our God, great-and-mighty, beautiful-and-perfect. You created as good, all that was created. From the most minute substance to the great-and-vast expanse; from the simplest-notion, to the inconceivable depths of your thoughts, all that you do, is good.
Every creature in its spirit-and-form is charged with its good duties; given its boundaries, and placed in its time-and-realm. You give all things purpose-and-dignity. And though you are all-powerful, and all-knowing, and all that you have done is perfect: you yet weave us in, body-and-soul, through the mystery of providence and servitude.
You have indeed tied creation-and re-creation into the very soul of man—made in your image. You have made him steward, watcher, and shepherd over all that you have given him. If he fails, his failure does cause the ruin of all within his charge. So, when he fell, even what he had not touched, fell with him into collapse. With deep sorrow in lost paradise, he became a poor-and-callous herdsman.
Turning away in disregard, he became the source of betrayal-and-disloyalty; a worshiper of wood-and-stone, dead like the things he worshiped, wicked-and-ambivalent, unrighteous—and unkind. Even now, the perfect gift of your Word is torn asunder, changed—and deformed into a lesser god. What you designed perfectly-straight, became crooked-and-bent. What was flawless became flawed, blemished-and-inadequate.
Confession: Lord, you made all things good but our hands are prone to break all we touch. For we are base-and-ignoble, broken-and-flawed, but Christ is noble-and-flawless. He is, and does, the perfect will of his Father. His perfection reforms the distorted soul, or gives it to itself in further spin, and endless turning-away. But whom the Lord purifies, he sanctifies. Whom he holds, are held secure. He forever sets apart his craftsmanship from an imperfect-and-treacherous hoard; they share no common ground.
O'Lord, in mercy-and-kindness, you have inscribed your Law-and-Word upon our hearts, and deep within our minds as a covering to our souls. They sing-and-laugh within the winds of our conscience. The souls you have reformed-and-shaped to your will, are beautiful, true, and righteous in Christ’s fulfilment.
Thanksgiving: Thank you O’Father, for we know the time comes and is now, that no memory or record of our sin, will appear before you or be in your heart. Your love will not let stay any disparate contour. Only the exquisite-and-magnificent array of Christ shall adorn the halls-and-gardens of your house. For he is our reformation-and-restoration. Your native soil and your living presence, is our home.
Supplication: Here in the world, O’God, reform first our hearts, next our intellect, and last our vision, that we may see the destinies of our souls more clearly. Bring us back to the solid-and-true, and away from the hollow-deceptive-failures of men. Clear our thinking and strengthen our faith. Set right the madness of false teachers and keep us true at every point and in every way. Reform us always and at every turn, that we might be as water, taking the shape of the vessels you have formed.
Because we are inclined to do as we desire, rather than submit to your wisdom, and to reshape what needs no reshaping, no adjustment, and no alteration: help us to see you clearly, beyond the lens of our changing visions. Help us to be calm, yet, curious of your mysteries. Guide our hearts to see the simple—as it plainly is; and to turn away from the muddling of your word.
Teach us to break our inclinations to adorn further, what is already beautiful. Help us to not make what is clear-and-austere, opaque-and-compromised; and to be always as you are: trustworthy, forthright, definite, and unambiguous.
Help us O’LORD, to form-and-reform what has been misshapen by our arrogance. For all, that you have formed is perfect, beautiful, flawless-and-unblemished.
In Christ we pray, amen. †
11-12-2023 #210—Sermon Passage, 1 Chron. 29:10-21
Adoration: O’God, great and marvelous, holy, and mysterious, we praise, exalt, and lift your name on high. In meekness of heart, we pray that our confessions, our words, our deeds, and our thoughts, will bless you and bring glory to your name.
All of creation is your dominion. You are the only God there ever was, or ever shall be—our true and praiseworthy Creator; and by your choice our Heavenly Father. All holiness, honor and majesty belong to you. So, hear O”LORD, our songs of praise. See our sincere acts of contrition, if they are so, and know our hearts clearly.
For you created fully good what we stained and diminished; and after, redeemed us to again fulfil your kindness and grandeur. We deserve no good thing, yet you give us mercy, grace, and blessing upon blessing. In providence, you manage our burdens to carefully shape our souls. You give us new minds and hearts, and cleanse our soiled ways. So, be glorified O’Holy Triune God; receive our salutations, our praise, our love, and our worship.
Our house of ruin is yours to destroy or rebuild, but your house stands forever. And Satan cannot sift as wheat, what is yours. You alone, chose your own; the strong and the weak, the seasoned and untried, both warrior and coward, and all who believe. You choose whom you will, to do and love your great works, and to leave others to love their own.
So, we shall return to you, your own portions. For what you have given us is beyond us. All things belong to you. All life is yours. All Gold, silver, bronze, and iron are yours. All precious and common stones, wood, metals, and marble, are from your hand; every element of your creation, gives notice of your glory. No one is excused from knowing this and giving tribute where tribute is due.
We the poor, bless you, for all our riches, honor, blessings, and abundance, are from you alone. From womb-to-grave, everything we have, is by your hand. And you rule over all things with power, kindness, and love. In your hand is the authority to make great—or small, to weaken the strong, or strengthen the weak. We cannot but joyfully bow our heads in homage to you O’God.
Confession: So, Father, we confess that we are strangers and sojourners before you. We cannot endure unless you preserve us fully. For you know our frame O’LORD, and you remember that we are as dust and shadow upon the earth. We know you test our hearts, and that you see how they sway. We know what pleases and displeases you. You are pleased with honesty, integrity, and virtue. And as well, when we confess our sins to you, you are faithful to forgive us our sins.
Thanksgiving: We thank you, O’God, true and kind, and we praise your glorious name. You are worthy and always deserving of our gratitude. You are worthy of our joyful obedience and our hope in you and your mercies. We know what you desire in the innermost being and thank you for such wisdom. Everything in the heavens and earth belong to you. So, with thankfulness of whole heart, we rejoice to give you all that is yours.
Supplication: We pray now, Lord God, if we are not right with you, discipline us, that we will love righteousness. Make us to know wisdom; and if we get off track, onto a crooked way, straighten our paths. If we are deaf and blind, remove our dumbness and any barriers between us. Deliver us from the depths of our sin’s, and lift us up to your thrown. Return us to being all that we were created for.
May our prayers never be distasteful, but meet sweetly with your desires. Now and forever, may we keep fully such pure ends in our hearts. Return us to innocence every morning. Direct us, body, and soul, toward you wholly; that we may complete all what is pleasing in your sight.
Be therefore, O’God, blessed upon the earth and in all the heavenly realms. For yours, O’Lord, is the power, glory, and majesty forever. Exalted above all thing in eternal victory in Christ. In and through our Lord Christ, we praise you, amen. †
11-19-2023 #211—Sermon Passage John 7:1-24 part 1:1-13
Adoration: Great LORD our God, we long for nothing in greater measure, than you: your holiness, our union with you and your will for us. Only you, give such desires, only you fulfil them. In all wonder and awe, we foresee the hope of our hearts joined in accord with you. We welcome the present, the final moment, and the everlasting, with joy.
Your tenderness is a sweet surrounding and our souls do long to be near you. Yet the shame of our corruption and pride haunts our reasoning and our accuser is relentless. But amid our misgivings and stubborn ways, your patience is unyielding. Surely the mystery of your grace bewilders us. The motives of your love for us allude us. Even so, our desire to be like you, is from the purity of a child’s heart. For you make us your children, unnatural as we are. To pursue you as our ambition, is fitting and right; nothing is more the precious.
Close at hand, yet far away, you turn all things to their course; yours to you, and the others to themselves. Though our great sins have been a means for abundant grace, you reshape from the core outward; and we want to bless you. For you turn what is meant for evil into good. You make the rivers of loss into the headwaters of mercy and goodness. Infinite and holy, the least of our sins warrant a boundless price. Despite everything, your deep mercy in Christ redeems your chosen and overpowers their dreadful guilt.
Outwardly and inwardly, you move about the world in kindness and mercy, and expose the accuser. You show the path in which men trust, is really a path of death. Still, the wind moves where it wishes, its sound is everywhere but no one sees where it goes. It gives birth to Spirit and passes over the proud. Your virtue reveals the roguish ways of the wicked; it is a prod that provokes their hate. They mutter amongst themselves and design violent-plots against the innocent; calling what is good, evil, and what is evil, good.
Confession: In confession we nod-yes, we were and are impoverished, guilty of every crime. We have nothing of our own with which to settle our unholy debt. Yet our Lord Christ comes forward, an affront to evil; and proves, it is truly finished. So, with trusting hearts and embracing arms we encompass his glory. In the now and not-yet, we plead his righteousness as ballast against our corruption.
In confession we rejoice over his mercy, our only hope. Our trust is inseparable from his love and deeds. For he alone balances-out the weight of our sins. He alone O’Father, quenches your righteous and dreadful wrath. He alone is our prerequisite; for only He has regained your good-will in our stead.
Thanksgiving: And, we give thanks for the mercy of Christ and your daily mercies to us. You pour out blessings both hidden and clear. You give us a song to sing by the rising and setting sun; and watch over us in our sleep. You remind us of your gifts every moment. Even as our hearts are distracted and board with the mundane, you are ever forming our souls. Our gratitude is constant, for your Word is gratifying to thankful hearts; and by it we praise you. You are the grounds of our hope, our enjoyment now and forever.
Supplication: We pray with joy, lament, laughter, and tears: Strengthen us, and give us more of your likeness. Expand our souls into the realms of holiness. Draw us further into your virtues and help us to be less content with our experiences and religious practice; for it is far too little to know you as you are.
Help us to become ardent and more fixed to your bond with us. Free our hearts from doubt to know you better. Help us to recognize the beauty as it eviscerates all that is vile and base.
With great assurance and expectation in Christ, we pray all things, amen. †
11-26-2023 #212—Sermon Passage John 7:1-24 part 2:14-25
Adoration: Holy God, Father of lights, Sovereign Creator of all things visible and invisible; Glorious Son, our Lord, and King; Holy Spirit—precious, true, and steadfast; God of our salvation: You O’LORD have called, and so, here we are. Chosen by your will, trusting you for all things. We are your true and faithful subject’s, children of light, vassals in the courts of heaven, a bride in waiting.
Teach us in this temple you have built; for we marvel and wonder at your every word and thought. You give joy to the young and old, the trained and untrained, the timid and the bold. All your children desire to hear the comfort of your voice. Lord, we know you teach us all that the Father has spoken; and that you say nothing that is not from Him. You are one with the Father and our reliance is in your authority. Our dependance is upon your guidance and our bodies and souls are forever in your hands.
In you, and by your deeds O’Messiah, we seek the Father’s glory: For there is nothing false in God. Everything is as he has said. You are the source, the one and only reality. You, O’Lord, are the way the truth and the life. You are, and you give one perfect law. By it, your wrath, kindness, grace, and mercy, flow down to cleanse the world.
So, shame—great shame, and dishonor upon the fiends of mankind; and those who have turned away in like-kind. They feign righteousness to deceive the world, and disgrace falls upon those who follow the Thief; who hate and want to kill you and to slander you in every good venue. The works of their father, a liar and murderer, always stir them to be as he is. Neither you O’God, nor your people have any accord or union with the wicked.
Confession: Daily O’LORD, we confess: our ark, is your love, righteousness, goodness, and mercy. For you, O’Holy Shepherd, choose our time and our place. Restoring eyes, ears, and hearts, we see, hear, and respond. Our confession is simple: We know and follow your voice of love; by it, you comfort, heal, make right judgments, and destroy worlds.
So, our ways, will be as yours; to love, make right judgments and verdicts that follow your true standard. For the weapons of truth are divinely powerful. They destroy every stronghold and fortress built upon opinion and arrogance which stands against the knowledge of God.
We confess too, that you, are the Sabbath, perfect and whole. For you have circumcised the hearts of your people, yet unbelieving hearts remain unchanged.
Thanksgiving: What a delight it is to be thankful and to remember all your mercies to us O’God; and to praise you for all you have done for your church. Thank you for your gracious Word; for passage through the Valley, and the comfort of your providence. Even as your silence draws us outward and inward to praise; you manage our burdens and cover us in gracious attire. In utter gratitude, we listen to your command, and by our Lord, do as you say. We await all that you shall prove; and thank you for every mercy which increases our love and gives light to our prayers.
Supplication: In great profit to our souls, make us, we pray, more able to converse with you. Help us to ask you for right things; and in obedience, to keep our thoughts captive to Christ.
Increase also, our capacity to love, trust and glorify Christ in all of life and over all the world.
In his name we humbly ask: Amen. †
12-17-2023 #213—Sermon Passage, John 8:12-30
Adoration: LORD God, Father of all creation; Savior and preserver of new Israel—light of the world; Spirit of truth, our comfort. Blessed be your name O’God. At its pronouncement, all existence shudders, the visible and invisible take notice, and shiver; the earth quakes and the galaxies trembles in their orbits.
And who are we, that you would condescend to know us, to love us in our condition, and live among us, holy and pure. We were, as all fallen people, dwellers in a land of deep darkness; yet you have shone your great light upon us, that we may see and know, that you are the Lord; and have called us into righteousness;
You O’Lord have taken us by the hand, and placed us into covenant with you. We have become outsiders and sojourners in a fallen world. You prove your kindness in your people; and by them, shine forth your mercies, even to the ends of the earth. Your salvation of purest light, will be seen in every dark corner. Whatever man has hidden away, whatever he has covered up, and stolen from the truth, will be uncovered; its ugliness, revealed by your brilliant and beautiful light.
O’LORD: souls chosen, set alight in Christ, and souls darkened and dim, bear the same image; and hear the same words. One listens and rises to life; another feigns madness and runs to a deeper demise.
Without a holy inheritance, there is no legacy but death. You ensure that empty words will not deceive the hearts of the chosen in Christ, nor can they embrace the things you hate. So, we shall not partner with the wayward, though we once shared their darkness. Our way now, is lit by the Lord. He has delivered us anew, as children of light, lovers of life and all that is good and right and true.
You, Lord God, are the Light of our Salvation; so, whom shall we fear? You are the stronghold of our lives; so, of whom shall we be afraid? Though evil is encamped against us, our hearts will not fear; though war arises from the darkness, we shall yet be confident. For in times of trouble, you hide us in your shelter, stand watch, and conceal us under the covers of your tent.
You lift us high upon a rock and give us feet that will not be moved. You never sleep or slumber, and always watch over the children of promise, your struggling bride. For you have said, “seek my face;” so, O’God of our salvation, it is your face alone we seek.
Confession: Father, now, we confess that we are often found sleeping; awake us, that we may arise from our sleep as though from the dead. We confess to you our daily sins and our desperate need of your mercy. We confess, we have sometimes been dim, yet we trust you will shine through us, moving outward and onward.
Thanksgiving: Thank you for forgiving our sins; your righteous and wonderful deeds, and your love O’God, which endures forever. In gratitude, our roots grow down into you, our lives are built upon you. Our trust grows strong in you, and our hearts overflow with thanksgiving.
Supplication: LORD, now we ask great things of our great God: Help us discern and do all that pleases you. Turn our hearts away from works of darkness. Help us expose the shameful things done in secret. For everything is rendered visible in the light. It is exposed for what it is.
Teach us daily O’Father, to be kind, patient, strong, and courageous; to make right judgments, not as self-righteous pretenders, but as those who have seen, received, and so, tell of your wonderful mercies.
One thing we ask most O’Lord, one great thing we seek, is that we may dwell in your house all the days of our lives, to gaze upon your beauty, and to search in you forever.
We do not doubt that we will soon be in the land of the living, with the light of Christ upon us, evermore in the presence of the beauty and goodness of our God. Amen. †
12-24-2023 #214—Sermon Passage, 2 Cor. 8:9
Adoration: LORD God, Father, Son, and Spirit: How great is your love for man, that your Messiah would set aside all glory to become as nothing; to step humbly and empty into bondage, to suffer our common burdens. A light, God’s final word, has broken through the darkness. Beyond our wildest dreams, a King has become a servant, a child, in our likeness and poverty, has become our hope. In innocence and obedience, as a man, counting equality with God as unthinkable; as God, knowing all that must take place, he came in submission, heaven upon earth, to make amends for the guilty, for he had done no wrong, yet he suffered God’s wrath, even to death upon a cross. He brought light, and life, to a dead and dying world.
We see now the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that although he was rich, for our sake, he became poor, that by his poverty, we would be rich. So, be highly exalted O’Lord; for upon your name, God has bestowed great honor, splendor, praise, and beauty. It stands radiant, and high above every other name. At its utterance in heaven, on earth, and under the earth, every knee should bow, and every tongue should confess to the glory of God the Father, that Jesus Christ is Lord.
Yet, people deceive themselves and others when they think they are something, so, make much of themselves. In their delusion, they have no need or understanding of what God has done. Their love is for themselves, their pride is in their treasure. Their worship is upon their riches, but they are poor, they have nothing, they give nothing and know nothing. But for the poor whom you have enriched by your love, neither life nor death, angels or rulers, things that are, or things to come, or anything else in all creation, can separate them from the love of God in Christ Jesus, our Lord. You are all things to us, our Prophet, Priest, and King.
Your judgments O’LORD are unsearchable and mysterious. They are from the depths of your riches, wisdom, and knowledge! For from you and through you and to you O’God, are all things, forever glorious and wonderful. Together with one voice we praise you O’God our Father, Father of our Lord. You are the God of our hope, joy, peace, and trust. By the power of your Holy spirit, we overflow with assurance. You have made us one in every desire, steadfast, immovable, abounding in your good works, knowing that we do not labor in vain.
The richness of Christ dwells in our hearts through faith; giving us confidence in the fullness of the God who roots and grounds us in his love; who gives us strength and an intellect to comprehend as best we can, the things that go beyond our knowledge; being the breadth, length, height, and depth, of the love of Christ.
Confession: Yet, O’ merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. Forgive us we pray and so repent. For the sake of your Son our Lord, have mercy on us, that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways to the glory of your name. Your faithfulness is our greatest hope and salvation.
Thanksgiving: O’Lord, with grateful hearts, we praise you for your gracious sacrifice; for your kindness to us when we were poor and ill willed against you, and for your patience with us as we are shaped by your hand. Thank you for working all good things on our behalf, for bringing us up out of the mire of our sins, and cleansing us through your blood and impoverishment.
Supplication: Give us now, encouragement in Christ, the comfort of love and fellowship in your Spirit. Give us proper affections, empathy, and sympathy for those to whom we can give more than we thought possible. Make us of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord with one another. Help us to do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than ourselves.
Turn our eyes to the interests of others and not only our own, as our Lord has done for us. May we obey and serve others through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. Glory to Christ, amen. †
12-31-2023 #215—Sermon Passage, John 8:31-47 “Is God Your Father?”
Adoration: O’God, Magnificent, Triune, Majestic LORD: We praise You and love to tell the world about You; that You alone are God, and there is no other. You are the God of our salvation; altogether Holy, Father of the living and deliverance for all who believe.
You persuade with beauty, peace, and love. To those who see, O’LORD, You—show; to those who hear, O’LORD, You—speak; and to those who have nothing, O’LORD, You—give all things.
You grant approval where none was due. Where only death was earned, You gave life. Where only sorrow reigned, You gave joy, and where only disgrace was known, You gave favor. Imprisoned hearts and minds, freed now by truth, abandon all restraints to sing: “O’death, where is Your victory? O’death, where is Your sting?”
Yet, many will not be swayed, nor give ear or place for truth to hold. They are not of God, though still, You call. All flesh has its descent-and-origin, all have body-and-spirit, yet only the Spirit gives birth to spirit; giving rest and firm embrace. Only those who believe are true sons; justified; and righteous friends of God.
Evermore true: The children of God and those of the Devil have no common ground. They stand on different shores treading divergent ways. They cannot bear to hear Your word, nor receive the things they hate. They are entranced with murder, lies and all that is contrary to God. The very contour of their realm, is a deep-and-dark valley, where nothing is useful, nor even what it seems to be. There is no good in them, they are like their father.
But to know You O’Lord, is to know everything true, everything real and everything useful. You are the core of life and fount of joy. Your faithfulness grounds our belief and our steadfast endurance. We shall walk this path by Your lead, and by Your draw and Your pull upon us. You tow us through the barriers of sin’s consuming mire. From Your hands, we cannot be lost, nor left in the gale of rebellion. We rest fully in Your arms.
O’Savior Lord, You speak the very word of God, and Your word has found purchase within us. Above and below, its roots hedge deeply around our hearts as a tree of life in desolate lands. Deep within and all-around, You hold us, guard us, and keep straight our lives. We have not misunderstood You, nor made Your words as folly; for it is all as You have said, not a word out of place.
So, we, O’Savior, shall bear the course with You; and when You appear, our confidence will stand proven and pure. Our shame shall no-more engulf us, nor our sins enslave and surround us like prison walls. You make us true disciples who abide in your word, and in Your house evermore.
Confession: Still, we confess that we had been slaves to sin, neither desiring nor seeing what was good, and unable to escape. Our ways were aligned with the Evil One’s. Where he placed his foot, our foot fell, our manners became his; ruthless, murderous, and wicked. We sang his death songs, counting their discord as harmony, while deaf to Your melodic voice.
Thanksgiving: What gratitude we have to You O’God; who in grace and mercy stepped as light into darkness to rescue us. In covenant, to save us from death—to life. Your love has altered our conduct; given us virtuous behaviors and right thinking.
We thank You O’Shepherd, morning and evening, for all you have done and shall yet do; for making our hearts courageous; for giving us hope in the face of trials and distain in our hearts for the Evil One’s ways.
Supplications: So, that we may prove our resolve, test us as You might. Show us where we have failed, that we may look to You for success. Reform us daily; hold us close, and alight our ways to be as towers of truth, that point to You alone. Let our tongues speak the words you have taught us, that all might hear you and know the way to You.
Let our behaviors, our mouths, and our deeds, never contradict our claim to You. May we show by hearts tied securely to You, what true religion is in a life you have redeemed. May we remain now and forever in Your house O’Son of God, amen. †
12-31-2023 #216—Sermon Passage, John 8:31-47 Specifically 34-35
Adoration: Father God, O’Holy One-our Lord, Redeemer, and true Savior; We praise and thank you O’God, for you are good and your steadfast love endures forever.
You have delivered us from our troubles; our sins and transgressions. You have gathered your own from east to west and north to south. You have called to your own and they have heard your voice, understood your words, and have seen your works. By the power of your will, you have turned them from their corruption and anarchy; every lifeless heart you embrace, by your grace, restored.
Truly, everyone who practices sin, is its slave; its bond servant, and its offspring. Not as one who serves and departs, but as a son who inherits and remains forever in the house of rebellion. Their sin, an attack against God, is a personal affront, an act of hate, conflict, and unrest.
You O’LORD are Life and Love. With you is peace and calm assurance. Yet, the world has chosen the contrary. Clamoring to be free from the jurisdiction of good and perfect law, they follow-after what righteousness forbids. But you O’God, have shown them the faultless path, away from which the children of sin turn. They have worked and earned your retribution. They have claimed for themselves, what belongs to you only. All they do is invalid and void. It is evil because there is no good, wrong because there is no right. What evil does, justice repays in verdict an endless abyss.
Confession: Lord, we know the way of sinners, who were our brothers with us in chaos. We confess to you and repent in you; for we could not have turned without your Holy merciful choice and pleasing touch.
We know, in Christ, our sins are forgiven, yet forgiveness is still our cause; so, forgive us yet O’Father. We confess with joy all that we have forsaken. And all the ashes we still hold; shall the winds not disperse them too?
Thanksgiving: Thank you, O’Savior, you have not left us in our misery and ruin but rebuilt us as your own. You have shattered the doors of our prison and cut the bars in two, to burst apart our bonds. You brought us out of darkness and from the shadow of death; and now we cry out in gratitude. To you we plead our case and know you are our advocate. How grateful we are to know the truth and live in simple assurance; longing souls, satisfied.
Supplications: Strengthen our trust and our desires for holiness. May we never seek you for your gifts, but for your beauty and fellowship. May our love for you show in all we do and desire. O’Savior, let our taste for the perishing grow dull, as we savor eternal flavor. Help us to know you are with us always. Seal us in your perfections and carry us from our distress. Lead us straight away to your home, to dwell in your resolute love and wonderous works. Fill us, we pray, with all good things in Christ, amen. †
Prayers 2024
01-28-2024 #217—Sermon Passage, 1 Chron.16: 23-36, “Declare His Glory Among the Nations”
Adoration: O’God of all creation, our Salvation; one God in three Persons, Perfect Triune LORD. All the earth, all the roaring seas, and starry skies above, sing to you O’God. We shall tell the world of your salvation from day-to-day, and declare your glory among the nations, saying: “Worship the LORD all you creatures; tremble before him all you—who walk the earth and the hidden realms.”
Day-in and day-out, we remember your great deeds, the works of your hands, your kindness, and care for us. In dawning light, and when night falls deep, we shall honor you in every thought, word, and effort. We will make known your deeds to the nations. Our songs of praise, will rise, resonate, and resound from the valleys to the mountains, and back again.
Your wonderous works, compassion, mercy, and love, are our portion now and forever. You give grace, life, and comfort to a condemned people. Your gifts are grand and mysterious, and your judgments enfold all the earth. Glory to your holy name O’God our God. Let the hearts of those who seek you rejoice. Let the strong and the faint, see your strength and know your presence.
O’Lord, the decrees you have uttered confine us in safety, and the miracles from-out your hands, are beautiful to us. For you are the Lord our God, who teaches us to trust, and consoles us with a promise. Your Word surrounds us to a thousand generations; our hope in the Lord of the covenant.
Though we are but sojourners in a dry, dark, and desolate land, your statutes are as wine, you are the bread of life, your glory lights our way, and your presence will not depart. You place our inheritance before us as a beacon and a harbor. You faithfully fulfill all you have said. You weave your countenance, provision, and verdict, into flawless interlace—a tapestry of love and redemption.
Though our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the spiritual forces of evil from in the realms around us, you have rebuked the dark rulers and crushed their powers into naught. Though they desire to have us, your hand preserves what is yours. They will not find a place hold nor lead our hearts away. For the heavens and the earth and all they contain are yours, you have made them all. In glory, honor, and power, your name stands above all other names. The splendor of your people, your holiness, and promise, is our assurance.
Confession: Our confessions of sin are a tearful cry, yet our confession of your grandeur, your kindness, and your love, is a joyful song. You deliver us from evil, and we turn. You forgive us our trespasses, so too, we forgive.
With the trees of the forest, the stars, rocks, and waters, we sing a glad song of freedom and joy. We welcome your great judgment without fear, and await your vengeance: the cleansing of creation.
Thanksgiving: Hear now, the thankful words of our hearts, which our tongues cannot pronounce. See our gratitude in deeds of thanksgiving. You know the workings of our hidden parts. In the labors of love, it is you who move through us.
We give your thanks O’Lord. Our praise, prayer, and proclamation rise-up in worship to celebrate your wonderful countenance in covenant with your beloved. We give thanks to you O’Lord, for you are good and your steadfast love endures forever!
Supplications: In assurance, we call upon your name; your strength, power and magnificent. Give us all that you command from us. Help our petitions to emerge from trust; and give us all you have foreordained.
May our desires and your providence concur in holy step. For you, O’Lord, are greatly to be praised in all things. Blessed be the Lord our God, the God of true Israel, from everlasting to everlasting!” Amen.†
02-25-2024 #218—Sermon Passage, John 9:7-41
Adoration: O’LORD: Loving, Holy and Pure; Father, Son, Blessed Spirit; O’God: We as your people, praise and seek after you. Honor, glory, and power are yours alone. You are Life and Goodness; our beginning and final station, our standing, and our triumph. You hold all things together. Nothing known or unknown to us, is without its path; all destinies flow in a providential dance, drawn out as you determine.
Night, it seems, has come. But you, Lord, are the light of the world, Prophet, Priest, and King of the Sabbath. You cleanse the eyes, ears, and hearts of your own. We are your disciples, and so, speak clearly of you without hesitation or shame, giving glory to God. By the Gatekeeper, the shepherd enters in. He cares for his fold; they know his voice and follow. They know where he has come from, and follow to where he is are going.
Still, the evil one has his drove, which never ceases to flourish. Like their father, they are thieves, robbers, liars, and murderers. They steel from the poor, and deepen their oppression. They travel far and wide, bringing misery and dishonesty to the ignorant. Their converts, are twice as corrupt as themselves. Their anger and ranting toward God, is a noisy clamor without meaning.
But you O’LORD, adorn yourself and your beloved with majesty, dignity, and splendor. Clothed in glory and honor, you stand with them against the fiend and his kindred. Your judgments will forever stand against the proud. You will bring them low, and tread down the wicked forever. You will hide them altogether in the dust, and bind their faces in the world below.
Confession: Father, we confess what you already know of us; the subtle sins of the heart are a madness we must shake loose; we confess our blindness to them, as pride. For though in check, the arrogance of a sinful nature is yet a torment, and a displeasure to our souls.
We confess this in remorse; and pray our sins, and so, the grief of sin, shall fade into naught. For it yet inclines us to treat our own counsel, as though from you. Have not fellowships, and even whole nations, have fallen by that same error and standard? Were we not all blind from birth, less by grace you opened our sight?
Thanksgiving: Thank you O’Savior for all you have done; for showing us your glory apparent. We cannot fully understand what we can greatly appreciate; but to the pleasure of the Father’s will, and to the beauty of your name, it stands.
Thanks be to you O’God—Son of Man. Who are we that you do not cast out, though born in utter sin; that you have cleansed and covered in mercy? You have seen us in our state; spoken to us, and given faith to the faithless. You became our Arbiter against wrath, and speak on our behalf. By faith we repent, in trust we believe, in gratitude we worship. As judgment, you have shown as light upon the world, that those who were blind might see, and those who have no need, remain blind: Thanks be to God.
Supplications: Keep us now safe from the illusions of our times and the fragrance of its decay. Help us to be gentle and not critical in spirit, for we know who we are, and how our hearts do incline.
Forgive us when we think we have seen clearly, what a fool has missed. Help us to not contend with you O’Mighty God, or in our ignorance to find fault. May your wisdom always stop our descent into reckless probing. For can we answer you if you question us? No, our hands will cover our mouths.
So, look upon us O’Father, for we are of small account. Increase our faith. Help us to worship you well and to do your will. Hear our cries O’Lord; for you do not listen to those whose guilt remains, but those in Christ, have your ear.
Help us to be without fault in Christ; to do your commands, and to be like him in all our ways. In Christ we pray, amen.†
03-10-2024 #219—Sermon Passage, John 10:22-30, “Tell Us Plainly”
Adoration: O’LORD God, winter has come, and we, your beloved, have heard your voice, and so gather near the warmth of your presence; that your Word may resonate in us as a fire, and through us as a light; that it will go out from us and return to you in perfect array.
We are yours O’God, Father-Son and Spirit. Our purest vision is to love you with all our heart, soul, and strength: That the command and promise of your Word be on our hearts and in our thoughts. That we will teach them to our little ones, repeat them as we sit, as we walk, when we lie-down, and when we rise: The song of your word upon our lips will sound in harmony with our deeds.
By your strength, we shall bind your word as an emblem upon our hands, that our hands not sin against you. They will be as an entrance to our souls, through which, all things, in measure, must pass. For your word is written at the gates and doorposts of our homes, built by you.
We shall not forget, that you alone delivered us from the house of slavery. Our awe, adoration, and esteem of you, stands with us at the entrance. We cover our mouths and lift our eyes in wonder of your majesty, wisdom, and mercy. Your love and justice, through the life, death, and resurrection of Christ, shows true to the world. So, in Christ, our thoughts, words, and deeds will exalt you O’God.
The hedge and harness of your love is gentle, and the burden of our tasks, joyful. They sit upon us as a bright star over the horizon. Your judgments are not harsh but righteous. They show us a sign of your glory to the holiness of your name.
So, you alone shall we serve, and swear our true oaths before you. For we have no other God, no other allegiance in life. You are always with us, in our midst, and by our sides. Your jealously for us is terrifying; pure, true, and faithful. It destroys all competitors, removing them from off the face of the earth.
O’God, Healer of broken hearts, binder of wounds: You are the Benefactor who gives, the Gatekeeper who guards and the Shepherd who receives and protects. We are yours, and you are ours, now and forever.
Confession: Lord, each day we cry out with two confessions: One through which we suffer the acknowledgment of our sins, the other, through which we delight in the glory of your grace. Even before you named the stars of the heavens, you knew your sheep, you give them eternal life in promise, kept them safe in your hands, given from Father to Son, the many as one.
All you who judge the earth, ambassadors, and sons of the most-High, fall face down where you stand; for though kings and judges, as men, you shall die. So, arise, O God, and judge the earth; for you have inherited all the nations by right of endowment; a legacy in full bloom, prepared, shaped, and fulfilled for you and by you, has come.
Thanksgiving: Hear now our songs of joy O’LORD the rock of our salvation. We give thanks to you with all our heart; and sing of all your wonderful deeds. We come into your presence with praise and thanksgiving. For you are the LORD the great God, and King above all gods.
We enter your gates with thanksgiving, and your courts with praise! For you are righteous and good; your steadfast love endures forever, and your faithfulness through all the generations.
Supplication: Give us, we pray, wisdom O’True Shepherd, watch over our thought lives, the frustrations of our walk, and the dreams of our sleep.
Do not withdraw your staff from our necks, but deliver the rod against our enemies; yet with it, discipline us also.
For we are prone to wander into danger and shifting sands.
Our days are few, but if we are indeed humble, lift us up in favor and cast the wicked to the ground.
In Christ we humbly plead, amen.†
03-17-2024 #220—Sermon Passage, John 10:31-42, “Consecrated and Sent”
Admiration: O’Father God, our Lord, and Blessed Spirit, how great are your deeds and how deep is your kindness to man. Your many good works fill the skies and cover the earth. You show your goodness to every living thing.
Yet those who rebel against you throw stones and hurl their insults. They condemn their own lives by their self-importance, and stand up, when they should fall. You came to the men of old, made them leaders and judges to represent you, to speak the truth, and to show great justice to the world.
You were their God, but they only thought like men, their judgments became unrighteous and their hearts corrupt. Even when you stood before them, their unbelief rose to new heights, and their understanding failed them.
You made them like gods, but they could not rise above their arrogance. In their pride they disregarded your virtue, and made the sacred prophecies, irrelevant. And as their minds darkened, they failed to understand that you had come, a hallowed man, in humble attire, to stand in the dust of your creation.
Reasoning your beauty as wickedness, with violent hearts, they condemned the holy, and dishonored the sacred. As pompous orators, whose arguments were a pretense for wisdom, they failed to grasp the simplest truth, and so scorned the only one ever sent to them from heaven.
But you O’Lord, have done, and yet do, the works of your Father. As One with him, the Son has come into his vineyard, and the Father has dressed the vines. He braids the strands together in an embrace. So too, your word has knit your people together and bound them to you forever.
Confession: Lord, we confess you now before all men, in every way we know; that you might confess us as well before our Father in heaven. As you keep us true, we shall never recant our confession, neither before men, nor angels, nor fear of death.
You know our sins, as we review and confess them daily, yet you are our God, so, in you we stand, holy, perfect, and assured. You hold us with in your hands, your grip cannot be broken.
Thanksgiving: Thank you O’LORD: You have brought us into the Land of our fathers, to give us good and great abundance. You have filled the cistern that nourishes your vineyards. You have shaped the histories of your people and stayed with them through their troubles. In your care, we are assured.
Supplication: So, we ask all things in your name; for by your name, all things are possible. We pray for one another, protect us all from the evil one and his ways.
In your mercy, forgive us and cleanse us of our sins. Help us to surrender our wills when they are not aligned with yours.
Show us more of your presence, as we show more of you in us. In Christ we pray, amen.†
03-24-24 #221—Sermon Passage, Matthew 21:1-11, “The King Proclaimed”
(Reprise)
Adoration: O’Lord our Messiah, King of Jerusalem, King of heaven and earth, King of all creation, humble and fearless Warrior, Great Conqueror; Liberator of your people: You, and your Word, belong to us, to tell and retell, up to the end of the world.
A voice has cried out in the wilderness, “Prepare the way of the Lord; make straight his way in the desert. Every valley shall be lifted-up, and every mountain and hill made low. The uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places, smooth. The Lord has spoken and revealed his glory; it is hidden from no one.”
And so, the word became flesh and dwelt in our presence. You stir the waters in the “House of Mercy,” and make the springs of Gihon flow into the city. You enter through its gates, upon the foal of a donkey, a beast of burden to carry the weight of Glory.
As the Prophets have said: “Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised in the city of our God! Your holy mountain stands high and beautiful. It is the joy of all the earth. Within her strongholds, God has made himself known as a fortress. Blessed are you who comes in the name of the Lord!”
Has it not been told to us from the beginning? Have we not heard? Have we not understood from the foundations of the earth? It is you who sits above the circle of the world; its inhabitants are like grasshoppers. It is you who stretched out the heavens like a curtain, like a tent to dwell in. It is you who bring kings to nothing, and who makes the rulers of the earth fall like chaff.
In you, almighty God has declared comfort to his people, their warfare has ended. Their great iniquity is pardoned by the very hand of God. You, O’Jesus of Nazareth, are the long-awaited promise of God. We are to expect no other; let no one deceive us, you are the one.
O’Children of the Most-High, let us then spread out our cloaks, our prayer shawls upon the road; for the promised Messiah has come. He has traveled far from his home to fellowship with us. So, cover his path with green palms, for he is worthy. Let the palms quell the dust, our High-Priest has come; the flower of the fruit has blossomed, and ripened in beautiful array.
All praise, honor, and glory belong to you O’Lord-of-lords, and King-of-kings…for there is no other. The destroyer fell like a star from heaven into the pit of his domain; to claim his own and we rejoice and celebrate your victory. So, be glad all you children of earth, and sing a new song to the LORD, for he is trustworthy and all that he does is good.
Confession: Listen to him O’stubborn of heart, open your mouths, confess you sins and repent. For all flesh is grass, and its beauty is like the flower of the field. When the breath of the Lord blows on it, the grass withers, and the flower fades; but his Word stands forever.
We behold and confess: The Lord God comes in power and majesty; his reward is with him. He cares for his flock and gathers his lambs to his bosom. With his staff, he crushes the prowling beast into dust.
Thanksgiving: Thanks, and praise be to our God. All the nations are empty and less than nothing before him. For he alone restrained the waters in the hollow of his hand and he alone marked off the heavens with a span. He enclosed the dust of the earth, and gave it its portion.
He set the hills in balance and weighed the mountains on a scale. So, who can measure the Spirit of the LORD, or advise him on how to proceed? Give him praise and thanks O’man, for knowledge, Justice, and understanding belong to him.
Supplication: We lift now our eyes on high, and see the power of our God. We shall make our requests known to the one who creates, names, and upholds all things. Not one good thing is out of place.
Strengthen us O’Lord, for you do not faint or grow weary; give to us the strength we need and the assurance of your presence. Give us more ability to trust, to stand firm, and to always call upon you.
For you do not require our works or our perfection to balance the scale, but you alone set it right. Yet, we shall command in us what you command of us; your love as our assurance. All who wait upon you are renewed.
From heaven you came; our Messiah, Shepherd, and Savior; come to gather your little ones away from the fires, and the dark night of our days. We lay out our lives before you, and shall worship you forever, amen.†
03-31-2024 #222—Sermon Passage, 1 Peter 1:3-9
Adoration: Great blessings and glory to you O’God, the Father of our Lord. Your Spirit consoles and surrounds us with mercy, grace, and peace.
In ancient covenant, O’ Father, your affections were set upon us, predestined in Christ. What honor and joy it is, to be displaced, banished, and discarded from the world. To look back upon its ways as sojourners, in a desolate land. You have shown us our inheritance, whom you have raised out of demise, and joined to us forever. The depths of your love, are too great to know.
In him, our true home and promised land are found. So, we shall not be disheartened by the present evil, nor make a pact to accommodate the wicked. For we are yours, chosen and redeemed in Christ, citizens of new Israel, and the recompense of his travail. He alone is the solace of our souls.
Though sorrow and suffering, take us to the grave, his, has delivered us from it. What troubles we endure for a moment, joy enfolds and swallows; its bitter taste, now, the sweet savor of freedom. And our sorrows shall prove out in endurance; for Christ alone holds our faith steadfast. Pure in substance, it cannot fail, it cannot perish and it cannot fade in dark of night.
Examined by fire, our trust will not dissolve, nor melt to dross. In Christ, all that is done, is done. It is a beauty and strength from beyond the fringe, revealing the Son of glory.
Though not seeing him, we have known him; though not touching him, his presence has embraced us; though not deserving his kindness, his compassion has saved our souls. He endured the burdens, and hardships of our wage. He has captured our forfeit, and removed our iniquities. Our honor and praise cover your path O’Lord.
Confession: Truly…, truly Father, we confess, that we do not always distinguish well between the hallowed and unhallowed, the sacred and the profane. Sometimes our path slips beneath us. The blurring of the desecrate and consecrate, reality and illusion, are in constant wrench which blend to pervert and deceive.
Yet you always guide us to better pastures; to living waters and gentle goodness. You give us discernment to remove the weight we carry, as you groom us for beauty in the shelter of your fold. We confess that your great care for us is our shield. You watch over us, and heal our wounds. Your staff is our comfort and the source of our perseverance. The predator finds no place to enter.
Thanksgiving: We thank you for the blessings in Christ; and of the Spirit, who assures our perfected status before you, and the steady transformation of our souls.
Thank you for giving, and holding us to distinctions that the world hates and destroys.
Thank you for the covenant of blood, set forth in Christ, in eternal past. He is our cleansing in righteousness, our growth in purity and our elevation to your thrown.
Supplications: LORD God, you have set us apart into the sphere of holiness. Make us now into all you have foreseen. Keep us upright, in full standing before you.
Let the oppression and scorn of fools never diminish your work in us.
Help us to grow in genuine faith, that our lives and deeds will be a mirror of Christ our Lord.
Help us to be and stay obedient to him, that our conversion, shows its proper mark, in the face of mocking crowds.
Strengthen our frame so enfeebled by sin; that we may stand and acknowledge our Lord Christ, in every port and byway.
These things we ask, for the sake of our risen Lord, amen.†
04-14-2024 #223—Sermon Passage, Acts 6:1-7, “The Magnificent Seven”
Adoration: Eternal God, Fountain of all Goodness, Creator of souls and Redeemer of the fallen: your will in Christ, whatever it is, O’God, is our morning star and the light of the world. Nothing gives us comfort but your great mercies and love. You are our enjoyment, and our pleasure lies at the root of all service to you.
We are always in danger of choosing poorly, always infected by opinions that are skewed, but you, O’ Spirit, are infinitely wise and cannot error. All things are in your preview, and we are sanctioned by the visions you bring to us. Knowledge and wisdom are your rod and staff, and you move us through the briar as you will. We cry out then for insight, and the direction of your leading.
Therefore, in concert with the freedoms you afford, we shall do what seems wise, what communicates virtue, and that which corresponds to goodness and integrity. In this way, our steps are directed by you; as we cannot understand the depths of things by our own ways and frail assessments.
So, Lord, instruct us and teach us in the way we should go; counsel us always with your eye upon us and your ear attuned to our reasoning. For our trust in our own designs, and our faith in others O’God, is far to shaky ground for assurance. You alone are the author and finisher of our faith. You alone give final assurance.
All redemption and judgment are in your hands. Under your gavel, the deliverance of the elect and the judgment of wrongdoers is pronounced. Those who make a mockery of your grace, and turn priceless things into worthless waste, have earned their reward.
Confession: Yet in humble bearing, we confess, if your hand did not hold us safely in check, we would make all that is beautiful into a waste land in a moment.
We confess, that we know what we are without you, but with you, though our dreams cannot suppose, we are all that you have envisioned us to be. So, we shall confess our sins until the dust of the earth reclaims us; for you are faithful and just; you forgive us our sins, and you cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Thanksgiving: Because you have given so much, our prayers turn fully into praise; and we long to return something to you in thanks. Yet, what can we offer but such small cries of tribute, and surrendering of body and soul. Even these things O’Lord, though they please you, seem inadequate; never the less, we offer them, they are yours.
Gratitude and thanksgiving flow out to you from the hearts you have blessed. For none on the earth, nor in heaven above, share in your honor. Your name is set in eternal glory, eternal praise and eternal worship.
Supplications: O’LORD, you have adorned our souls with every spiritual blessing; give us now, we pray, increased appetites for your presence.
Give us encouragement to turn our sorrows into joy, yet to still know them as a molding and shaping of virtue. Make our fellowship with you, in providence, our day’s final goal.
Help us to open the gates of our hearts, that your waters of life flow fast to fill them.
We are your people, be therefore God in all circumstances, help us to embrace your glorious providence day-in and day-out.
In Christ, we stand before you a bride forever, amen.†
04-21-2024 #224—Sermon Passage, John 11:1-16, “When Love Waits”
Adoration: O’Father, Lord, and Spirit, almighty God and lover of our souls. You are our Founder, our Friend and our Comforter. We have been, and are yet, ill; but you are the healer of your friends; those who walk in fellowship with you. By your mercy, we believe in you and obey your word. By your death, our lives are restored. Be then, anointed by our trust, by our obedience and by our love. O’Lord, cover us with heavenly joy; with life, peace and beauty, the oils of eternal redemption.
Father of lights, walk with us; be our only sight; we will not walk apart from you. You bring us out of darkest of night, and awaken us from our dreams.
Loving Spirit, Spirit of life, shine fully upon our path and hold our feet there—firm. Yet, if we stray, find us when day breaks. Lift us from our fall and from out the thicket.
Your path to the cross O’Lord, shall be the one we tread. In you, we will not falter nor turn back from death.
All you have done has been for our sake. All you allow: hardship, suffering, death, sorrow, and mourning, forms us. All of these things, you too have known, and have overcome at length. Your very hands craft the vessels of our being. Everything you do and permit, is for the glory and honor of your great purposes’. In love, through the providence of time and outcome, you have established the people of the house of God.
We are your witnesses to the end of the earth: Demonstrate your power over the dark, over rebellion, over sin, over life, and over death O’God. For you inhabit eternity. You hold the immense universe in the palm of your hand. It is to you, only a mustard seed or grain of sand. All things are under your feet. Heaven and earth, declare the riches of your glory.
Confession: Father, forgive us for our lack of insight. We know you do not always answer prayers in the way we expect or anticipate. So, we ponder in ways we should not. We ask for things to satisfy our questioning hearts and wandering minds.
We confess, that we focus on the contents of our desires rather than on the substance of your glory. Still, you endure us, and forgive us our sins, so, our confession will always declare your great deeds and mercies to us.
Thanksgiving: Thank you O’Lord: You have made us what we are, and given us all we have. We are overwhelmed in the face of evidence-upon-evidence through which you prove, and we believe.
Thank you for giving us assurance in our weakness; for miracles as testimony and comfort. For you know how our minds work. You know our doubts, our pondering, our uncertainties and our disquiet. Thank you for giving us the substance of truth, as the weave of reality.
Supplications: O’Lord, King of heaven, we pray: Give to us deeper, truer and purer faith. Let our only standard, be strong trust and composure in you.
Lead us through this life for your glory. Tether our hearts, our hopes and our souls to you. Walk us through death and sorrow, as our rite of passage, to arrive at eternal life and joy everlasting.
Be merciful to us, sinners and transgressors. Crush within us all that draws awry, every sinful thought, and all love of sin; and bring us to your courts afresh, and pure.
Raise us then, on the last day, O’Savior. Judge all things on that day, and make all things right.
In Christ we pray, amen.†
04-21-2024 #225—Sermon Passage, John 11:17-27 “I am the Resurrection”
Adoration: O’God, High King of Heaven: Father of Light, Son of Man—our Lord, Almighty Spirit, the Redeemer and Signet of our souls, beautiful—unchanging—triune God: Your eternal promise, and covenant consoles us, your word entreats us to be still and know that you alone are God. You have made us as salt throughout the earth, to flavor the tasteless desert.
You O’Lord, are the resurrection and the life. We trust in you, so, though we die in the valley, we shall yet live anew on high. Darkness follows a setting sun, yet at dawn, our worship rises to follow its course. With you, our lives are set. By your wonderful deeds, you avow and establish all you have promised. It proves true throughout Scripture, our song of our hope.
It is what we believe, what we hold, and what we long for. Before the world began, your eternal counsel was set in place; a providential pledge. Eternally steadfast, you have never wavered. Your plan and design hold dominion throughout the universe. You have interlaced it with a fine, strong weave. You are at its center, and outside its fringe.
Such knowledge is our comfort and our joy. You do not make revisions for the actions of man. From everlasting-to-everlasting you rest upon your word. As little ones you have raised, your eternal nature, embraces and enfolds us. It is our sure foundation, a floor beneath our feet, with strong walls, and a roof adorned with stars, there is nothing more real.
You have accomplished all things. You have favored us, purchased us, adopted us, cleansed us and clothed us. Your moral perfections are shaping us for unending beauty that never withers or fades. Though our sins and iniquities had destroyed us, made us useless, dreadful, and unclean: Your Spirit has quickened ours, brought us to new life, made us new creatures, given us solace.
Confession: Earnestly, we confess every ill we do and have done. When we could not see you, nor hear you, nor desire you, and could not taste your goodness for the bitter-sweet sins of our youth, in kindness, you opened our eyes, ears, and hearts.
No affront can separate us from your compassion. The cords of our hearts are drawn tight by you, and your forgiveness lies behind, and in front of us. So, we confess your great love and mercies to us, and our joy to be in your hands evermore.
Thanksgiving: Our every thought, word and breath go out to you in thanksgiving and praise. You are worthy of all honor, glory, and blessing. In every soulful gift and motion of life, we give you thanks forever.
Supplications: Give us now as you see our need. Occupy our hearts and hone our intellect. Lift us from the ruin of rebellion and lay bare our souls before a dying world.
Let us not be, nor become quiet, or stammered by the events that surround us. For we know you give us every good thing and all that you have determined is good.
Keep us now moment to moment, until that day you return. By your gaze and mighty power, dissolve every sinful passion our grim companion incites. Weaken that vile hold upon us and make us yours fully and evermore, in every way, forever.
We ask all things in Christ and for his sake alone, amen.†
05-12-2024 #226—Sermon Passage, Multiple: Let Her Rejoice “Mother's Day”
Adoration: O ’Blessed Lord, God of our fathers, Author of Life, Founder of Love, Wisdom, Judgment, and Mercy. You are forever-and-ever the source of all goodness. The Creator of mankind, of marriage, of motherhood, of fatherhood, and of families. All that is in heaven and earth belong to you. You alone are the exalted Master over all things, and your Kingdom has no end.
We are formed by your hand through the fires of our mothers and fathers. To honor you is to honor them also. So, we shall have no other god but you. No idols will replace you and your name upon our lips will be glorious. For you are holy and we rest in you alone. You are Life, so we shall not murder, you are faithful, so we shall be faithful. Because you delight in the truth, we shall not lie. You give us all we need, and we shall not want what others have, nor desire anything, that is not from your hand:
For all riches and honor come from you. You watch over the days of the righteous and the wicked, and determine their outcome. You caution your enemies, and suffer their insults long before you judge them. You remove our hearts of stone and renew a right spirit within us. You strengthen your people with knowledge of your word, with insight, assurance and comfort. But you hide such things from the wise and learned.
You O’Lord, are the promise we hold to. In you, is every good and perfect gift. All that you say you will do, you do. In you, there is no shadow of change. Your integrity is our pursuit. To be perfect, because you are perfect, is our quest and our failure. For that, Christ is our stead, our remedy, our hearth stone, and our rest.
Confession: Father, though your mercy has surrounded us, we confess our sins daily, and ask your forgiveness. We confess that our notions of right-and-wrong are weighed too lightly. We confess that our desires get confused with our needs, and our sense of honor, with our pride. We distort the clarity of our sins to justify them and make them vague. Yet, we deceive only ourselves, for we know what we do; it is always there in front of us.
So, we confess our sins and transgressions against you and our need for forgiveness. Because you are faithful to forgive us, and restore us daily, we shall confess your mercy in Christ to the world. As salt for the bland; and that all people know, that you delight in truth in the inward parts, and by faith, will heal the bones you have broken.
Thanksgiving: Thank you O’Lord. We praise your glorious name. To be servants of the most-high, is a humble place of gratitude. It draws a strain from the heart, that rises up into songs of thanksgiving. Out of the depths of our being, comes tribute, homage, and praise for your mighty works. We thank you day-and-night for your kindness, for binding us to you in Christ who suffered for our sake.
In him we are assured of a salvation that unites us to glory. Thank you for being the source of the honor, loyalty and faith of our mothers and fathers; those both natural and arranged.
Supplication: Father, we ask now, that in humble array, our prayers and pleadings fill your throne room; never in folly, as complaints or negotiations, but as cries and calls to you in our time of need. Hear them in and through Christ, and do as you will for your glory.
Comfort us we pray; be never far from us. Inform and fortify our souls, that we might endure the world and its troubles. Help us to be true to you first. Give our hands and feet strength to keep right our homes, to watch over those in our charge, and to be steadfast in all things as we walk in your presence.
Keep us diligent for holy desires, to see your love in all that we do; to be to our families and neighbors what you are to us. Then, they will know that we are yours, and not our own. Move through us, to them; that our lives may prove the power of your mercy and grace evermore…
Hallowed and blessed be your name in all things. Bring now your Kingdom in its fulness, perfection and eternal glory.
In Christ our Lord, we pray; amen.†
05-19-2024 #227—Sermon Passage, John 11:45-57, “Two Responses, Two Plans”
Adoration: LORD God: our Father, Savior and Comforter: You O’God, have known us from before you knit together the heavens. You formed our bodies from the earth and our spirits from your breath. You knew us in Adam, and throughout the generations still. You bring to fruition, and hold together all things. You determine the role every soul and event plays: What will perish and what will endure, what is fleeting and everlasting, beginning to end.
From the Holy Covenant, through all those broken by man, to your Perfect Final Covenant in Christ, you have been gracious to your beloved: keeping us safe in the mix, under your watch, and tethered in the storm. For after creation, the enemy came forth, a tempter, deceiver and hater of souls; a wanderer traversing time, to disturb and destroy virtue. A thief, liar, and murderer, fighting fruitless battles; he moves concentrically in, and through the hearts of men, bringing rebellion, ruin and death.
As the father of death and lies, his people always plot against you, O’Lamb of God. They desire to pierce and crush you; to stop all that you do, and cause others to reject and despise you. Their only longing, is to strip you of your glory, and bring the void—to everything. They cannot esteem what destroys them, so they hide their faces from you, O’High king of heaven: who made them from the dust and gave them the breath of life.
Many have seen what you have done and believed. Many have seen your glorious deeds and cried out: “What will we do with this King of Glory, who takes away the sins of the world, to leave us with nothing? Let us then, murder him before he ruins our place; before the eyes of the weak see him and grow strong, let the passion of his end, be our passion.”
Confession: Lord, we confess that we have seen your glory disregarded, and have witnessed your betrayal again and again. Yet we are not moved by mocking tongues, for by your mercy, our minds and hearts are in your hands. We confess, that in meek attire, we are willing, and shall fight where you have place us, to defend as seems wise.
Still though, it is you who injure or heal as you see fit. Even when we have misjudged, mis-spoken or emoted like fools, you calm our hearts and subdue our thoughts, showing us a better way.
Thanksgiving: Thank you for watching over our infancy, for forgiving us our sins, and for working in our lives with all goodness and blessings. Thank you for strengthening us for your purposes; and for the assurance that you are always in us and with us, and will never leave.
You have filled us with your life, peace and joy. We thank you always for your kindness and shall prove daily the blessing as true. Our praise and thanks go to you alone, for you alone are worthy!
Supplication: Father, protect us in Christ from the Evil One who desires to have us. We ask this and all things of you; from the greatest to the least of things. Help us to trust you unhesitant; to be wise in all our ways, to be loyal, truthful, loving, selfless and sacrificial. Help us to have hope, humility, compassion, empathy, kindness, and mercy toward others.
Help us to exercise forgiveness in the right measure, to have integrity, honesty, sincerity, and moral uprightness in our thoughts, words, and deeds.
Help us to be patient, kind, generous and fiercely unmovable. Shape us, and keep us sincere, that we may show a steadfast and authentic demeanor of hope to the world.
May we persevere in the pursuit of a life that honors you and embodies the image of Christ’s as witness.
For your glory in these things and more, we pray, amen.
05-26-2024 #228—Sermon Passage, John 12:1-11, “Worship and Wickedness”
Adoration: LORD of Heaven, King of Glory: your Spirit enfolds ours; we are in you—through Christ in us. How wonderful are your works, how merciful your salvation. Our minds can barely grasp the notion, its righteousness, its eternal nature and everlasting beauty, yet, it is ours apparent. Your goodness is overwhelming.
You are the almighty God, the great I am. Your works of creation are a storehouse of Splendor. All of your allowances are providential, wise, and purposeful. In Christ, you have provided your beloved with deliverance, justification, perseverance and sanctification. It is a seed and yet a flower in full bloom, the effects of sin are engulfed by it—and crushed.
Our refuge is Christ, your righteous wrath appeased. You have raised us from the dead and shall yet raise us further. We recline at your table and have no other hunger. You are the bread and the wine, what more could we desire? You have anointed and consecrated us with fragrant oils, poured over us out of purest love.
You answer us from your holy heaven with the saving power of your right hand. You have anointed your people with the pure ointment of righteousness, reconciliation and love. Its scent fills the heavens, and its aroma filters out to the ends of the earth. Rather than ashes, you clothe us in beautiful attire. You give us the solace of joy in place of mourning, a strong embrace instead of a distant spirit.
That we may be called oaks of righteousness, our roots go deep into Christ and grow out from him. He is our strength in the faith, and our sabbath rest. In him, your Spirit O’LORD God is upon us; it is the fragrance of good news to the poor. You have come to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and to open the prison gates for those who were held.
You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; caused gladness to overflow its bounds; and put an end to sin. You have atoned for our iniquity, and proven the visions, the promises, and the prophets as true.
Confession: Father, we confess our sins, those we know well, and those we resist to admit. Though they are always before you, we confess them all, turn from them, and lean upon your mercy. We confess our trust in your faithful promise to forgive and restore us daily.
You have done for us what we would not, nor could not, have done for ourselves. Yet too, we confess that images of self-rescue still entice us. They are but prideful and arduous dreams. We know such things are an affront to you; make right our hearts to yield in trust.
Thanksgiving: LORD God, we thank you in every circumstance that comes before us, and for your will in Christ on our behalf. We enter your gates with thanksgiving and your courts with praise of your holy name.
Thank you for the peace of Christ to rule in our minds, to reveal truth, to bring us fellowship with you, and to dissolve the rebellion of our souls. We give thanks to you always in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, our Redeemer, Perfector of our faith, and Healer of our wounds.
Supplication: Father, allow us now, to know you better, to hold well to our place in Christ and to walk with him before you. Keep us from the shadows to stand evident in the open light. That we may show ourselves to you and others clearly, and without false manner.
Help us to see all things in their eternal import, and to be free of any illusion that would delude our thinking, or diminish our authenticity as children of the gospel.
In whatever we do, whether in word or deed, help us to do so in the name of our Lord, whose wounds have made us well. In and through him alone, we contend, amen.
06-09-2024 #229—Sermon passage, John 12:27-36, “Purpose and Glory”
Adoration: Father in heaven, Faith Giver, Redeemer and LORD; you are the center of all that is Good, Righteous and True. You establish and decree your perfect and complete law. By it, you graciously restore the people of your mercy; and in it, they remain forever good.
So, what shall we say? Our troubled souls have seen the coming of our salvation. Our weeping and our songs of hope have not been missed by you. Our fears are swallowed in love. Our Messiah, cast down in his suffering, yet in your voice of splendor O’God, is a thundering love. Glory upon glory, in deafening array, you have spoken to us directly, and for our sake; that our hearts may know: you are God alone, and there is no other.
Eternal consequence in spiritual realms, fall upon the world; yet the blind cannot see it, nor hear it, nor understand it. By death, comes power over death; its very core is cast out; its founder, the deceiver and ruler of fallen souls—that murderer and harbinger of ruin, is deposed forever. The record of his debts, stand against him, but our debts, each one, are expunged, annulled and removed.
Up from the earth, up from the dust of man and the lowest sorrows, the savior rises. In him, the world is brought into a vortex which draws to it every eye. There is nothing beyond its circle of glory. It is both peace and war, comfort and dismay, law and mercy. By it, —in him, the righteous are mended, brought to life, and bathed in beauty. Yet the wicked are brought to ruin, and reprehension; the darkness of the grave covers them, and their names fade into naught.
You, O’Son of man, O’Son of God, are the light that illumines the darkness. You have overtaken the shadows, and dispersed them to the void. The sons of light trust in you; the sons of darkness trust in themselves. In measured view, the Evil One, his children and his beast, with the false prophet, have earned their endless torment.
Confession: Lord, we confess you wholeheartedly. We know where we are going, for we know where you have been. You are our confession and our covenant, our only defender and comfort. You are our heart of wisdom, as all good things become foolish, in the hands of fools.
You have dealt well with our sins; exposed them to us, cast them upon another and revealed the misery of them to the world. You have forgiven us of what we could not make right, nor afford to bear; for the unrighteous cannot do what is good, nor even desire it.
Thanksgiving: In giving thanks, we bow down. Though it seems far too distant, and far too little, receive now our gifts of praise and gratitude. Your grace has overtaken us. Your welcoming cheers us. Your mercy has changed our souls and your love has shaped us for an eternal home.
Thank you for giving us faith to exercise, and for showing us what true virtue is. You suffered us, held our demise at bay, and crushed our deep offenses; and now, you even form Christ within us, moment-by-moment and day-by-day. Thank you for giving us the wisdom to see goodness and to desire to do what is good; for you alone are good.
Supplication: Hear our prayers, O Lord. Give ear to our supplications and to the needs we cannot form words to define, yet our hearts clearly speak of. Answer us in your faithfulness, your righteousness and your provision. We desire that your will alone, be perfected in us.
Father, remove our disbelief, help us to pray in accord with the Spirit, and without ceasing. As you see the truth in context, and are never deceived, so also, may we see. May your pleasure in all matters, be ours.
In boldness, make known to us, the mystery and splendor of the gospel, that we would not see the lost as lost, but as ourselves when without you. For your eyes are toward the righteous, and you ears attend to their prayers, but not so for those who do evil.
For your glory and the sake of Jesus Christ our Savior we pray, amen.
06-16-2024 #230—Sermon Passage, John 12:36-50, “The Tragedy of Unbelief”
Adoration: Almighty God, LORD of heaven and earth, most Gracious Father, Son and Holy Spirit: Your compassion O’God and wonderful works, fill all of creation. It cannot be missed. You give life, and provide for all flesh. Your chosen angels and children, boast of your glorious Love, your providential covering and their trust in you. Your holiness fills the universe with splendor, goodness and virtue.
Yet a blight and a stain, have their field of ruin, where no measure of goodness, truth or beauty takes root. Its core is the shape of malice. Though persuasive, its strength, and resilience, is in what it lacks. Uprooted, it is thrown into the abyss, forever falling into itself. Save Christ as man, — all men have turned aside, all have sinned, none are righteous, no-one understands; no-one knows or seeks after God; no one does good, not even one. Together they have become worthless. Their throats are an open grave of deception. Their native tongue is a language of lies and half-truths. They comfort each other with a smile and a nod. Like wine at a meal, they drink each other’s venom as it drips from their mouths. Their talk is full of curses and bitterness. They are swift to shed blood. Because they do not honor peace, in their wake they leave only ruin, misery and death. Though the glory of God is always before them, they refuse to acknowledge him, decline to esteem him, and do not fear him whatsoever.
Blessed Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, hallowed be your name. Though we were like all men are, body and soul, you have done a wonderous work. You have blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing. In him, you chose us from before the foundation of the world, to become holy and blameless before you. We cannot grasp anything in us to explain it. Yet in love, you destined us for adoption into yourself, as sons and daughters through our Lord. All of this is according to the purpose of your will, to the praise of your glorious grace and mercy, by which you have blessed us in your Beloved One.
You have lavished your love upon us according to the riches and perfections of Christ. By all wisdom and insight, you have made known to us the mystery of his purpose and will, which you set forth in him. By his blood, we have redemption, forgiveness of our sins, and life everlasting. In the fulness of time, all things in heaven and earth are being united in him. He is our inheritance, and our destiny according to the purpose of his will. Our hope is in him, to the praise of his glory. In him alone, is the word of truth; for he is the very gospel of salvation. Your gift of faith O’Father—our belief, seals us in Christ through the Holy Spirit, to the praise of his glory. Your Spirit within us, is the guarantee of our inheritance fully acquired.
You O’Lord are the Light that shines. You embrace those who see and hear you, and you heal them. You hide yourself from the deaf, blind and hardhearted: their wounds will remain in them forever. Yet your great sovereignty and man’s responsibility remain true. Though with no ability to believe, they also have no desire. Though they are blinded in the presence of miracles, they are guilty of their refusal to see; for their hearts seek man’s approval rather than God’s. So, the evidence means nothing to them. They judge themselves by their unbelief. Because they did not believe in God nor trust in his salvation, their feet are set downward to a darkened path.
LORD, all day long, you have spread out your hands to a rebellious people, but they walk where their desires pull them. Their thoughts are never like yours. Without virtue, without truth and without renewed hearts, they will always reject you and your words. So, on the last day, the Word you have spoken, will judge them.
Confession: LORD, we confess openly, that we were once as rebellious, as our kind have been from the first sin. Our sins, even as little ones, was the path of our desire. But you have washed us clean and have purified us through a great atonement. You have molded a freedom within us; and it surround us; and makes us free from guilt. In our Lord Jesus Christ, by your Holy Spirit, you have redeemed, justified and consecrated us.
Our confession is that we retell, and believe, in all you have spoken and done. To confess you continually, and turn away from sin daily, is but a portion of your glory we grasp. For if we kept silent, our bones would waste away, and our groaning would fill our homes day and night.
Thanksgiving: Father, thank you for hearing our voices and our pleas for mercy. You always incline your ear to us, and we thank you, and call on you for all things with assurance of your kindness as long as we live.
We thank you in times of stress, disquiet and misery. We thank you in times of relief, tranquility, comfort and contentment. For all things, may our gratitude be apparent to you, and the world. You have delivered our souls from death, our eyes from tears, and our feet from stumbling that we may walk before you, in the land of the living.
Supplication: Lord Father, give us daily your bread of life, and the living water that satisfies our thirst forever. It is the well that springs up to eternal life; no other drink compares.
Give us righteous desires, that we may act on them earnestly. Help us Father, for you chose us, and appointed us to go, bear fruit, and endure all things for your sake. So, in whatever we ask of you, by your will may you grant, in the name of our Lord.
And, if we should lack wisdom, give it to us generously, without reprove, that it may be our way and our practice in all things. May we gently but firmly exercise it, as our trust in you grows.
By such application, may you, O’Father, be glorified in your Son our Lord, and pleased with your children now and forever, amen.
06-23-2024 #231—Sermon Passage, John 13:1-20, “An Important Lesson”
Adoration: O’Father God, O’Shepherd our Lord, Good Spirit our Comforter and Keeper: Be glorified in and through us—your beloved. In this world and before it, O’Lord, you have always loved your own, even to the end of their days. Those who reject you already have their reward; but you came for your people.
Those who love you seek after you, their soul’s pursuit, proves it true. They are kept alive by the need you have given them. We praise you for your perfect wisdom. You are good and we are not, until within you, we are hidden. For on our own, we are vile and self-centered, prone to look about for other lands and other tastes. Yet by your will, and to your glory, you are now all we seek.
Your sweet love for us, protects us from all wrath. You have stood between us and destruction, to take fully, the glorious rage of God. You have promised to take us out of our dry lands and dusty graves, to cleanse us, make us pure, remove every foul desire, and bring us into your land—forever. You have removed the barrier of our uncleanliness. You are the Shepherd and stone of Israel; your bow remains steady.
But we are too shallow to grasp the fulness of your love. Our minds have not the intellect, nor our hearts the depth of compassion to hold an insight into such perfection. If we try to solve this mystery, or repay your kindness, our thoughts will deceive us, and delusion will rule our every effort.
You have taken away our idols, given us new thoughts, and a new spirit within. You loved us first; and in love, we desire to obey you—that such, might serve as proof of passion. As you have put your very Spirit into us, your commands and your laws, are ours to bear-out in joy. If our adoration shows true, we will bless and be blessed by you forever.
Confession: For we confess, if we try to do good without you behind it, everything we do is feeble and dead. Having you in all that we do, is our intent. For unless you move in us, we cannot move, unless you open our eyes, we cannot see, and unless you cleanse us, we will not be clean.
By our nature, there is no pure love in our souls; our affections are turned away from you, and we are slaves bound to illicit desire. Until you free our hearts from their love of death we cannot know a life of perfection. You are God and have power over everything; apart from you, goodness, purity and salvation—does not exist.
Thanksgiving: Thank you, our God and Father: You protect our minds from Belial, the Lying Spirit, who whispers: “follow your heart; be whatever you want; denounce everything that restrains you; your freedom is in rebellion.”
But thanks be to God, our Lord and friend, who is grander and brighter than all the stars together. He is our heart and the King we follow. Though sin and shame belong to us, all goodness, life, and truth, are in him alone.
Supplication: So, we pray, keep us from fault when some strange desire fills our thoughts or moves our hearts. Help us daily, to recognize how fallen we have been. Help us see clearly, that the world holds no glory, and though our lives are in it, we are no longer its sons and daughters.
Lord, and Teacher: You have washed us; wash us still. Help us to understand what you have done for us. Use us then to cleanse the world, to love the unlovable, to be merciful to the worthless and to extend grace where none should be given. Yet, may all our judgments be pleasing to you, and as wise as yours.
In the purity, love, and mercy of Christ—we pray, amen.
06-30-2024 #232—Sermon Passage, Acts 8:26-40, “Be Ready and Willing”
Adoration: O’LORD, our loving Father, for the greater good of your name, you are gracious and kind to sinners. You are merciful to the mistreated, and the innocent—cut off from life. For love’s sake, you give your angel to us, to save us, and direct us. You charge us: Rise up and go, join with, and speak the word of truth to all people; to the proud in their arrogance and humble in their ignorance.
LORD, you have shown us the rich and the poor as they are; both bound to their graves in sin. Unless they are guided, unless you speak through your people, unless you open their hearts: they cannot understand what or who to worship. For there is no good news in the hearts of men, until Christ becomes that news. Neither through imagination, nor in the deceiving stories of angels, can anything rescue them from their rebellion.
Who O’Lord, are those that believed what they have heard from us? And to whom have you revealed your strength? Who but your own have understood? Who but your own have heard? Can they not see that this man, our savior, grew up before you like a young plant, like a root out of dry ground? Though not in the form of God, or with the majesty of a king, without obvious beauty to draw men to himself, or to be desired of men: He has said every true word all people need; yet they have not esteemed, or revered him; but despised and rejected him.
Though his beauty is pure and true, men deny him; they hide their faces from him. Though the shadows, and the shades of deceit scatter in the light of his glory, men love the darkness. Though he was acquainted with grief, sorrow and lament, he endured all things for the joy set before him. Though his virtue and wisdom are a wonder to those who have insight; it is hollow, and dull, to the minds and hearts of unbelievers.
Confession: Father, from out of our wonder, comfort and glory, we confess: Like wandering sheep, we too, had gone astray. We had turned from the good pastures, into a dry and rocky land. So, you laid our iniquities upon your lamb. For our sake, he was miserable, stricken and put to death. In our stead, your full wrath and terrible judgment, fell upon him.
Though he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in him, he bore our griefs and carried our sorrows. As a lamb to the slaughter, he was silent before the shearer. He alone was crushed and cut-down for our wickedness. He alone was cut-off from the land of the living, to be buried among the graves of the wicked.
Thanksgiving: O’Christ our Lord, our thanks, and gratitude are yours forever. For out of the anguish of your body and soul you bore the consequence of our sins, made an offering for our guilt, and satisfied the wrath of the Father.
Glory to you; for by your suffering, many are counted as righteous. Hidden in you and born from out of you, we are baptized in your blood, in pure waters, and now forever, your children.
Supplication: O’LORD God, we pray, baptize us your beloved, with the good and great news. In Christ, cleanse us daily from our offenses; and once more, set straight our path. You have brought us through the waters of death, into those of eternal life. Let our spoken creed—reveal the life of our soul.
Let nothing stop our mouths from speaking of your glory, of our trust in you, and of your covering over us.
With Christ as our Angel and our King, may our dull hearts, minds, and tongues be honed sharp.
Keep us ready and willing through love, to reason with the lost and dying. Keep us steady as we inform the world, and show true the reason for our hope in you.
Use us in the lives of others, to show something of who you are, and of what you have done.
For your glory we pray, amen.
Adoration: O’God of all creation, our Salvation; one God in three Persons, Perfect Triune LORD. All the earth, all the roaring seas, and starry skies above, sing to you O’God. We shall tell the world of your salvation from day-to-day, and declare your glory among the nations, saying: “Worship the LORD all you creatures; tremble before him all you—who walk the earth and the hidden realms.”
Day-in and day-out, we remember your great deeds, the works of your hands, your kindness, and care for us. In dawning light, and when night falls deep, we shall honor you in every thought, word, and effort. We will make known your deeds to the nations. Our songs of praise, will rise, resonate, and resound from the valleys to the mountains, and back again.
Your wonderous works, compassion, mercy, and love, are our portion now and forever. You give grace, life, and comfort to a condemned people. Your gifts are grand and mysterious, and your judgments enfold all the earth. Glory to your holy name O’God our God. Let the hearts of those who seek you rejoice. Let the strong and the faint, see your strength and know your presence.
O’Lord, the decrees you have uttered confine us in safety, and the miracles from-out your hands, are beautiful to us. For you are the Lord our God, who teaches us to trust, and consoles us with a promise. Your Word surrounds us to a thousand generations; our hope in the Lord of the covenant.
Though we are but sojourners in a dry, dark, and desolate land, your statutes are as wine, you are the bread of life, your glory lights our way, and your presence will not depart. You place our inheritance before us as a beacon and a harbor. You faithfully fulfill all you have said. You weave your countenance, provision, and verdict, into flawless interlace—a tapestry of love and redemption.
Though our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the spiritual forces of evil from in the realms around us, you have rebuked the dark rulers and crushed their powers into naught. Though they desire to have us, your hand preserves what is yours. They will not find a place hold nor lead our hearts away. For the heavens and the earth and all they contain are yours, you have made them all. In glory, honor, and power, your name stands above all other names. The splendor of your people, your holiness, and promise, is our assurance.
Confession: Our confessions of sin are a tearful cry, yet our confession of your grandeur, your kindness, and your love, is a joyful song. You deliver us from evil, and we turn. You forgive us our trespasses, so too, we forgive.
With the trees of the forest, the stars, rocks, and waters, we sing a glad song of freedom and joy. We welcome your great judgment without fear, and await your vengeance: the cleansing of creation.
Thanksgiving: Hear now, the thankful words of our hearts, which our tongues cannot pronounce. See our gratitude in deeds of thanksgiving. You know the workings of our hidden parts. In the labors of love, it is you who move through us.
We give your thanks O’Lord. Our praise, prayer, and proclamation rise-up in worship to celebrate your wonderful countenance in covenant with your beloved. We give thanks to you O’Lord, for you are good and your steadfast love endures forever!
Supplications: In assurance, we call upon your name; your strength, power and magnificent. Give us all that you command from us. Help our petitions to emerge from trust; and give us all you have foreordained.
May our desires and your providence concur in holy step. For you, O’Lord, are greatly to be praised in all things. Blessed be the Lord our God, the God of true Israel, from everlasting to everlasting!” Amen.†
02-25-2024 #218—Sermon Passage, John 9:7-41
Adoration: O’LORD: Loving, Holy and Pure; Father, Son, Blessed Spirit; O’God: We as your people, praise and seek after you. Honor, glory, and power are yours alone. You are Life and Goodness; our beginning and final station, our standing, and our triumph. You hold all things together. Nothing known or unknown to us, is without its path; all destinies flow in a providential dance, drawn out as you determine.
Night, it seems, has come. But you, Lord, are the light of the world, Prophet, Priest, and King of the Sabbath. You cleanse the eyes, ears, and hearts of your own. We are your disciples, and so, speak clearly of you without hesitation or shame, giving glory to God. By the Gatekeeper, the shepherd enters in. He cares for his fold; they know his voice and follow. They know where he has come from, and follow to where he is are going.
Still, the evil one has his drove, which never ceases to flourish. Like their father, they are thieves, robbers, liars, and murderers. They steel from the poor, and deepen their oppression. They travel far and wide, bringing misery and dishonesty to the ignorant. Their converts, are twice as corrupt as themselves. Their anger and ranting toward God, is a noisy clamor without meaning.
But you O’LORD, adorn yourself and your beloved with majesty, dignity, and splendor. Clothed in glory and honor, you stand with them against the fiend and his kindred. Your judgments will forever stand against the proud. You will bring them low, and tread down the wicked forever. You will hide them altogether in the dust, and bind their faces in the world below.
Confession: Father, we confess what you already know of us; the subtle sins of the heart are a madness we must shake loose; we confess our blindness to them, as pride. For though in check, the arrogance of a sinful nature is yet a torment, and a displeasure to our souls.
We confess this in remorse; and pray our sins, and so, the grief of sin, shall fade into naught. For it yet inclines us to treat our own counsel, as though from you. Have not fellowships, and even whole nations, have fallen by that same error and standard? Were we not all blind from birth, less by grace you opened our sight?
Thanksgiving: Thank you O’Savior for all you have done; for showing us your glory apparent. We cannot fully understand what we can greatly appreciate; but to the pleasure of the Father’s will, and to the beauty of your name, it stands.
Thanks be to you O’God—Son of Man. Who are we that you do not cast out, though born in utter sin; that you have cleansed and covered in mercy? You have seen us in our state; spoken to us, and given faith to the faithless. You became our Arbiter against wrath, and speak on our behalf. By faith we repent, in trust we believe, in gratitude we worship. As judgment, you have shown as light upon the world, that those who were blind might see, and those who have no need, remain blind: Thanks be to God.
Supplications: Keep us now safe from the illusions of our times and the fragrance of its decay. Help us to be gentle and not critical in spirit, for we know who we are, and how our hearts do incline.
Forgive us when we think we have seen clearly, what a fool has missed. Help us to not contend with you O’Mighty God, or in our ignorance to find fault. May your wisdom always stop our descent into reckless probing. For can we answer you if you question us? No, our hands will cover our mouths.
So, look upon us O’Father, for we are of small account. Increase our faith. Help us to worship you well and to do your will. Hear our cries O’Lord; for you do not listen to those whose guilt remains, but those in Christ, have your ear.
Help us to be without fault in Christ; to do your commands, and to be like him in all our ways. In Christ we pray, amen.†
03-10-2024 #219—Sermon Passage, John 10:22-30, “Tell Us Plainly”
Adoration: O’LORD God, winter has come, and we, your beloved, have heard your voice, and so gather near the warmth of your presence; that your Word may resonate in us as a fire, and through us as a light; that it will go out from us and return to you in perfect array.
We are yours O’God, Father-Son and Spirit. Our purest vision is to love you with all our heart, soul, and strength: That the command and promise of your Word be on our hearts and in our thoughts. That we will teach them to our little ones, repeat them as we sit, as we walk, when we lie-down, and when we rise: The song of your word upon our lips will sound in harmony with our deeds.
By your strength, we shall bind your word as an emblem upon our hands, that our hands not sin against you. They will be as an entrance to our souls, through which, all things, in measure, must pass. For your word is written at the gates and doorposts of our homes, built by you.
We shall not forget, that you alone delivered us from the house of slavery. Our awe, adoration, and esteem of you, stands with us at the entrance. We cover our mouths and lift our eyes in wonder of your majesty, wisdom, and mercy. Your love and justice, through the life, death, and resurrection of Christ, shows true to the world. So, in Christ, our thoughts, words, and deeds will exalt you O’God.
The hedge and harness of your love is gentle, and the burden of our tasks, joyful. They sit upon us as a bright star over the horizon. Your judgments are not harsh but righteous. They show us a sign of your glory to the holiness of your name.
So, you alone shall we serve, and swear our true oaths before you. For we have no other God, no other allegiance in life. You are always with us, in our midst, and by our sides. Your jealously for us is terrifying; pure, true, and faithful. It destroys all competitors, removing them from off the face of the earth.
O’God, Healer of broken hearts, binder of wounds: You are the Benefactor who gives, the Gatekeeper who guards and the Shepherd who receives and protects. We are yours, and you are ours, now and forever.
Confession: Lord, each day we cry out with two confessions: One through which we suffer the acknowledgment of our sins, the other, through which we delight in the glory of your grace. Even before you named the stars of the heavens, you knew your sheep, you give them eternal life in promise, kept them safe in your hands, given from Father to Son, the many as one.
All you who judge the earth, ambassadors, and sons of the most-High, fall face down where you stand; for though kings and judges, as men, you shall die. So, arise, O God, and judge the earth; for you have inherited all the nations by right of endowment; a legacy in full bloom, prepared, shaped, and fulfilled for you and by you, has come.
Thanksgiving: Hear now our songs of joy O’LORD the rock of our salvation. We give thanks to you with all our heart; and sing of all your wonderful deeds. We come into your presence with praise and thanksgiving. For you are the LORD the great God, and King above all gods.
We enter your gates with thanksgiving, and your courts with praise! For you are righteous and good; your steadfast love endures forever, and your faithfulness through all the generations.
Supplication: Give us, we pray, wisdom O’True Shepherd, watch over our thought lives, the frustrations of our walk, and the dreams of our sleep.
Do not withdraw your staff from our necks, but deliver the rod against our enemies; yet with it, discipline us also.
For we are prone to wander into danger and shifting sands.
Our days are few, but if we are indeed humble, lift us up in favor and cast the wicked to the ground.
In Christ we humbly plead, amen.†
03-17-2024 #220—Sermon Passage, John 10:31-42, “Consecrated and Sent”
Admiration: O’Father God, our Lord, and Blessed Spirit, how great are your deeds and how deep is your kindness to man. Your many good works fill the skies and cover the earth. You show your goodness to every living thing.
Yet those who rebel against you throw stones and hurl their insults. They condemn their own lives by their self-importance, and stand up, when they should fall. You came to the men of old, made them leaders and judges to represent you, to speak the truth, and to show great justice to the world.
You were their God, but they only thought like men, their judgments became unrighteous and their hearts corrupt. Even when you stood before them, their unbelief rose to new heights, and their understanding failed them.
You made them like gods, but they could not rise above their arrogance. In their pride they disregarded your virtue, and made the sacred prophecies, irrelevant. And as their minds darkened, they failed to understand that you had come, a hallowed man, in humble attire, to stand in the dust of your creation.
Reasoning your beauty as wickedness, with violent hearts, they condemned the holy, and dishonored the sacred. As pompous orators, whose arguments were a pretense for wisdom, they failed to grasp the simplest truth, and so scorned the only one ever sent to them from heaven.
But you O’Lord, have done, and yet do, the works of your Father. As One with him, the Son has come into his vineyard, and the Father has dressed the vines. He braids the strands together in an embrace. So too, your word has knit your people together and bound them to you forever.
Confession: Lord, we confess you now before all men, in every way we know; that you might confess us as well before our Father in heaven. As you keep us true, we shall never recant our confession, neither before men, nor angels, nor fear of death.
You know our sins, as we review and confess them daily, yet you are our God, so, in you we stand, holy, perfect, and assured. You hold us with in your hands, your grip cannot be broken.
Thanksgiving: Thank you O’LORD: You have brought us into the Land of our fathers, to give us good and great abundance. You have filled the cistern that nourishes your vineyards. You have shaped the histories of your people and stayed with them through their troubles. In your care, we are assured.
Supplication: So, we ask all things in your name; for by your name, all things are possible. We pray for one another, protect us all from the evil one and his ways.
In your mercy, forgive us and cleanse us of our sins. Help us to surrender our wills when they are not aligned with yours.
Show us more of your presence, as we show more of you in us. In Christ we pray, amen.†
03-24-24 #221—Sermon Passage, Matthew 21:1-11, “The King Proclaimed”
(Reprise)
Adoration: O’Lord our Messiah, King of Jerusalem, King of heaven and earth, King of all creation, humble and fearless Warrior, Great Conqueror; Liberator of your people: You, and your Word, belong to us, to tell and retell, up to the end of the world.
A voice has cried out in the wilderness, “Prepare the way of the Lord; make straight his way in the desert. Every valley shall be lifted-up, and every mountain and hill made low. The uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places, smooth. The Lord has spoken and revealed his glory; it is hidden from no one.”
And so, the word became flesh and dwelt in our presence. You stir the waters in the “House of Mercy,” and make the springs of Gihon flow into the city. You enter through its gates, upon the foal of a donkey, a beast of burden to carry the weight of Glory.
As the Prophets have said: “Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised in the city of our God! Your holy mountain stands high and beautiful. It is the joy of all the earth. Within her strongholds, God has made himself known as a fortress. Blessed are you who comes in the name of the Lord!”
Has it not been told to us from the beginning? Have we not heard? Have we not understood from the foundations of the earth? It is you who sits above the circle of the world; its inhabitants are like grasshoppers. It is you who stretched out the heavens like a curtain, like a tent to dwell in. It is you who bring kings to nothing, and who makes the rulers of the earth fall like chaff.
In you, almighty God has declared comfort to his people, their warfare has ended. Their great iniquity is pardoned by the very hand of God. You, O’Jesus of Nazareth, are the long-awaited promise of God. We are to expect no other; let no one deceive us, you are the one.
O’Children of the Most-High, let us then spread out our cloaks, our prayer shawls upon the road; for the promised Messiah has come. He has traveled far from his home to fellowship with us. So, cover his path with green palms, for he is worthy. Let the palms quell the dust, our High-Priest has come; the flower of the fruit has blossomed, and ripened in beautiful array.
All praise, honor, and glory belong to you O’Lord-of-lords, and King-of-kings…for there is no other. The destroyer fell like a star from heaven into the pit of his domain; to claim his own and we rejoice and celebrate your victory. So, be glad all you children of earth, and sing a new song to the LORD, for he is trustworthy and all that he does is good.
Confession: Listen to him O’stubborn of heart, open your mouths, confess you sins and repent. For all flesh is grass, and its beauty is like the flower of the field. When the breath of the Lord blows on it, the grass withers, and the flower fades; but his Word stands forever.
We behold and confess: The Lord God comes in power and majesty; his reward is with him. He cares for his flock and gathers his lambs to his bosom. With his staff, he crushes the prowling beast into dust.
Thanksgiving: Thanks, and praise be to our God. All the nations are empty and less than nothing before him. For he alone restrained the waters in the hollow of his hand and he alone marked off the heavens with a span. He enclosed the dust of the earth, and gave it its portion.
He set the hills in balance and weighed the mountains on a scale. So, who can measure the Spirit of the LORD, or advise him on how to proceed? Give him praise and thanks O’man, for knowledge, Justice, and understanding belong to him.
Supplication: We lift now our eyes on high, and see the power of our God. We shall make our requests known to the one who creates, names, and upholds all things. Not one good thing is out of place.
Strengthen us O’Lord, for you do not faint or grow weary; give to us the strength we need and the assurance of your presence. Give us more ability to trust, to stand firm, and to always call upon you.
For you do not require our works or our perfection to balance the scale, but you alone set it right. Yet, we shall command in us what you command of us; your love as our assurance. All who wait upon you are renewed.
From heaven you came; our Messiah, Shepherd, and Savior; come to gather your little ones away from the fires, and the dark night of our days. We lay out our lives before you, and shall worship you forever, amen.†
03-31-2024 #222—Sermon Passage, 1 Peter 1:3-9
Adoration: Great blessings and glory to you O’God, the Father of our Lord. Your Spirit consoles and surrounds us with mercy, grace, and peace.
In ancient covenant, O’ Father, your affections were set upon us, predestined in Christ. What honor and joy it is, to be displaced, banished, and discarded from the world. To look back upon its ways as sojourners, in a desolate land. You have shown us our inheritance, whom you have raised out of demise, and joined to us forever. The depths of your love, are too great to know.
In him, our true home and promised land are found. So, we shall not be disheartened by the present evil, nor make a pact to accommodate the wicked. For we are yours, chosen and redeemed in Christ, citizens of new Israel, and the recompense of his travail. He alone is the solace of our souls.
Though sorrow and suffering, take us to the grave, his, has delivered us from it. What troubles we endure for a moment, joy enfolds and swallows; its bitter taste, now, the sweet savor of freedom. And our sorrows shall prove out in endurance; for Christ alone holds our faith steadfast. Pure in substance, it cannot fail, it cannot perish and it cannot fade in dark of night.
Examined by fire, our trust will not dissolve, nor melt to dross. In Christ, all that is done, is done. It is a beauty and strength from beyond the fringe, revealing the Son of glory.
Though not seeing him, we have known him; though not touching him, his presence has embraced us; though not deserving his kindness, his compassion has saved our souls. He endured the burdens, and hardships of our wage. He has captured our forfeit, and removed our iniquities. Our honor and praise cover your path O’Lord.
Confession: Truly…, truly Father, we confess, that we do not always distinguish well between the hallowed and unhallowed, the sacred and the profane. Sometimes our path slips beneath us. The blurring of the desecrate and consecrate, reality and illusion, are in constant wrench which blend to pervert and deceive.
Yet you always guide us to better pastures; to living waters and gentle goodness. You give us discernment to remove the weight we carry, as you groom us for beauty in the shelter of your fold. We confess that your great care for us is our shield. You watch over us, and heal our wounds. Your staff is our comfort and the source of our perseverance. The predator finds no place to enter.
Thanksgiving: We thank you for the blessings in Christ; and of the Spirit, who assures our perfected status before you, and the steady transformation of our souls.
Thank you for giving, and holding us to distinctions that the world hates and destroys.
Thank you for the covenant of blood, set forth in Christ, in eternal past. He is our cleansing in righteousness, our growth in purity and our elevation to your thrown.
Supplications: LORD God, you have set us apart into the sphere of holiness. Make us now into all you have foreseen. Keep us upright, in full standing before you.
Let the oppression and scorn of fools never diminish your work in us.
Help us to grow in genuine faith, that our lives and deeds will be a mirror of Christ our Lord.
Help us to be and stay obedient to him, that our conversion, shows its proper mark, in the face of mocking crowds.
Strengthen our frame so enfeebled by sin; that we may stand and acknowledge our Lord Christ, in every port and byway.
These things we ask, for the sake of our risen Lord, amen.†
04-14-2024 #223—Sermon Passage, Acts 6:1-7, “The Magnificent Seven”
Adoration: Eternal God, Fountain of all Goodness, Creator of souls and Redeemer of the fallen: your will in Christ, whatever it is, O’God, is our morning star and the light of the world. Nothing gives us comfort but your great mercies and love. You are our enjoyment, and our pleasure lies at the root of all service to you.
We are always in danger of choosing poorly, always infected by opinions that are skewed, but you, O’ Spirit, are infinitely wise and cannot error. All things are in your preview, and we are sanctioned by the visions you bring to us. Knowledge and wisdom are your rod and staff, and you move us through the briar as you will. We cry out then for insight, and the direction of your leading.
Therefore, in concert with the freedoms you afford, we shall do what seems wise, what communicates virtue, and that which corresponds to goodness and integrity. In this way, our steps are directed by you; as we cannot understand the depths of things by our own ways and frail assessments.
So, Lord, instruct us and teach us in the way we should go; counsel us always with your eye upon us and your ear attuned to our reasoning. For our trust in our own designs, and our faith in others O’God, is far to shaky ground for assurance. You alone are the author and finisher of our faith. You alone give final assurance.
All redemption and judgment are in your hands. Under your gavel, the deliverance of the elect and the judgment of wrongdoers is pronounced. Those who make a mockery of your grace, and turn priceless things into worthless waste, have earned their reward.
Confession: Yet in humble bearing, we confess, if your hand did not hold us safely in check, we would make all that is beautiful into a waste land in a moment.
We confess, that we know what we are without you, but with you, though our dreams cannot suppose, we are all that you have envisioned us to be. So, we shall confess our sins until the dust of the earth reclaims us; for you are faithful and just; you forgive us our sins, and you cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Thanksgiving: Because you have given so much, our prayers turn fully into praise; and we long to return something to you in thanks. Yet, what can we offer but such small cries of tribute, and surrendering of body and soul. Even these things O’Lord, though they please you, seem inadequate; never the less, we offer them, they are yours.
Gratitude and thanksgiving flow out to you from the hearts you have blessed. For none on the earth, nor in heaven above, share in your honor. Your name is set in eternal glory, eternal praise and eternal worship.
Supplications: O’LORD, you have adorned our souls with every spiritual blessing; give us now, we pray, increased appetites for your presence.
Give us encouragement to turn our sorrows into joy, yet to still know them as a molding and shaping of virtue. Make our fellowship with you, in providence, our day’s final goal.
Help us to open the gates of our hearts, that your waters of life flow fast to fill them.
We are your people, be therefore God in all circumstances, help us to embrace your glorious providence day-in and day-out.
In Christ, we stand before you a bride forever, amen.†
04-21-2024 #224—Sermon Passage, John 11:1-16, “When Love Waits”
Adoration: O’Father, Lord, and Spirit, almighty God and lover of our souls. You are our Founder, our Friend and our Comforter. We have been, and are yet, ill; but you are the healer of your friends; those who walk in fellowship with you. By your mercy, we believe in you and obey your word. By your death, our lives are restored. Be then, anointed by our trust, by our obedience and by our love. O’Lord, cover us with heavenly joy; with life, peace and beauty, the oils of eternal redemption.
Father of lights, walk with us; be our only sight; we will not walk apart from you. You bring us out of darkest of night, and awaken us from our dreams.
Loving Spirit, Spirit of life, shine fully upon our path and hold our feet there—firm. Yet, if we stray, find us when day breaks. Lift us from our fall and from out the thicket.
Your path to the cross O’Lord, shall be the one we tread. In you, we will not falter nor turn back from death.
All you have done has been for our sake. All you allow: hardship, suffering, death, sorrow, and mourning, forms us. All of these things, you too have known, and have overcome at length. Your very hands craft the vessels of our being. Everything you do and permit, is for the glory and honor of your great purposes’. In love, through the providence of time and outcome, you have established the people of the house of God.
We are your witnesses to the end of the earth: Demonstrate your power over the dark, over rebellion, over sin, over life, and over death O’God. For you inhabit eternity. You hold the immense universe in the palm of your hand. It is to you, only a mustard seed or grain of sand. All things are under your feet. Heaven and earth, declare the riches of your glory.
Confession: Father, forgive us for our lack of insight. We know you do not always answer prayers in the way we expect or anticipate. So, we ponder in ways we should not. We ask for things to satisfy our questioning hearts and wandering minds.
We confess, that we focus on the contents of our desires rather than on the substance of your glory. Still, you endure us, and forgive us our sins, so, our confession will always declare your great deeds and mercies to us.
Thanksgiving: Thank you O’Lord: You have made us what we are, and given us all we have. We are overwhelmed in the face of evidence-upon-evidence through which you prove, and we believe.
Thank you for giving us assurance in our weakness; for miracles as testimony and comfort. For you know how our minds work. You know our doubts, our pondering, our uncertainties and our disquiet. Thank you for giving us the substance of truth, as the weave of reality.
Supplications: O’Lord, King of heaven, we pray: Give to us deeper, truer and purer faith. Let our only standard, be strong trust and composure in you.
Lead us through this life for your glory. Tether our hearts, our hopes and our souls to you. Walk us through death and sorrow, as our rite of passage, to arrive at eternal life and joy everlasting.
Be merciful to us, sinners and transgressors. Crush within us all that draws awry, every sinful thought, and all love of sin; and bring us to your courts afresh, and pure.
Raise us then, on the last day, O’Savior. Judge all things on that day, and make all things right.
In Christ we pray, amen.†
04-21-2024 #225—Sermon Passage, John 11:17-27 “I am the Resurrection”
Adoration: O’God, High King of Heaven: Father of Light, Son of Man—our Lord, Almighty Spirit, the Redeemer and Signet of our souls, beautiful—unchanging—triune God: Your eternal promise, and covenant consoles us, your word entreats us to be still and know that you alone are God. You have made us as salt throughout the earth, to flavor the tasteless desert.
You O’Lord, are the resurrection and the life. We trust in you, so, though we die in the valley, we shall yet live anew on high. Darkness follows a setting sun, yet at dawn, our worship rises to follow its course. With you, our lives are set. By your wonderful deeds, you avow and establish all you have promised. It proves true throughout Scripture, our song of our hope.
It is what we believe, what we hold, and what we long for. Before the world began, your eternal counsel was set in place; a providential pledge. Eternally steadfast, you have never wavered. Your plan and design hold dominion throughout the universe. You have interlaced it with a fine, strong weave. You are at its center, and outside its fringe.
Such knowledge is our comfort and our joy. You do not make revisions for the actions of man. From everlasting-to-everlasting you rest upon your word. As little ones you have raised, your eternal nature, embraces and enfolds us. It is our sure foundation, a floor beneath our feet, with strong walls, and a roof adorned with stars, there is nothing more real.
You have accomplished all things. You have favored us, purchased us, adopted us, cleansed us and clothed us. Your moral perfections are shaping us for unending beauty that never withers or fades. Though our sins and iniquities had destroyed us, made us useless, dreadful, and unclean: Your Spirit has quickened ours, brought us to new life, made us new creatures, given us solace.
Confession: Earnestly, we confess every ill we do and have done. When we could not see you, nor hear you, nor desire you, and could not taste your goodness for the bitter-sweet sins of our youth, in kindness, you opened our eyes, ears, and hearts.
No affront can separate us from your compassion. The cords of our hearts are drawn tight by you, and your forgiveness lies behind, and in front of us. So, we confess your great love and mercies to us, and our joy to be in your hands evermore.
Thanksgiving: Our every thought, word and breath go out to you in thanksgiving and praise. You are worthy of all honor, glory, and blessing. In every soulful gift and motion of life, we give you thanks forever.
Supplications: Give us now as you see our need. Occupy our hearts and hone our intellect. Lift us from the ruin of rebellion and lay bare our souls before a dying world.
Let us not be, nor become quiet, or stammered by the events that surround us. For we know you give us every good thing and all that you have determined is good.
Keep us now moment to moment, until that day you return. By your gaze and mighty power, dissolve every sinful passion our grim companion incites. Weaken that vile hold upon us and make us yours fully and evermore, in every way, forever.
We ask all things in Christ and for his sake alone, amen.†
05-12-2024 #226—Sermon Passage, Multiple: Let Her Rejoice “Mother's Day”
Adoration: O ’Blessed Lord, God of our fathers, Author of Life, Founder of Love, Wisdom, Judgment, and Mercy. You are forever-and-ever the source of all goodness. The Creator of mankind, of marriage, of motherhood, of fatherhood, and of families. All that is in heaven and earth belong to you. You alone are the exalted Master over all things, and your Kingdom has no end.
We are formed by your hand through the fires of our mothers and fathers. To honor you is to honor them also. So, we shall have no other god but you. No idols will replace you and your name upon our lips will be glorious. For you are holy and we rest in you alone. You are Life, so we shall not murder, you are faithful, so we shall be faithful. Because you delight in the truth, we shall not lie. You give us all we need, and we shall not want what others have, nor desire anything, that is not from your hand:
For all riches and honor come from you. You watch over the days of the righteous and the wicked, and determine their outcome. You caution your enemies, and suffer their insults long before you judge them. You remove our hearts of stone and renew a right spirit within us. You strengthen your people with knowledge of your word, with insight, assurance and comfort. But you hide such things from the wise and learned.
You O’Lord, are the promise we hold to. In you, is every good and perfect gift. All that you say you will do, you do. In you, there is no shadow of change. Your integrity is our pursuit. To be perfect, because you are perfect, is our quest and our failure. For that, Christ is our stead, our remedy, our hearth stone, and our rest.
Confession: Father, though your mercy has surrounded us, we confess our sins daily, and ask your forgiveness. We confess that our notions of right-and-wrong are weighed too lightly. We confess that our desires get confused with our needs, and our sense of honor, with our pride. We distort the clarity of our sins to justify them and make them vague. Yet, we deceive only ourselves, for we know what we do; it is always there in front of us.
So, we confess our sins and transgressions against you and our need for forgiveness. Because you are faithful to forgive us, and restore us daily, we shall confess your mercy in Christ to the world. As salt for the bland; and that all people know, that you delight in truth in the inward parts, and by faith, will heal the bones you have broken.
Thanksgiving: Thank you O’Lord. We praise your glorious name. To be servants of the most-high, is a humble place of gratitude. It draws a strain from the heart, that rises up into songs of thanksgiving. Out of the depths of our being, comes tribute, homage, and praise for your mighty works. We thank you day-and-night for your kindness, for binding us to you in Christ who suffered for our sake.
In him we are assured of a salvation that unites us to glory. Thank you for being the source of the honor, loyalty and faith of our mothers and fathers; those both natural and arranged.
Supplication: Father, we ask now, that in humble array, our prayers and pleadings fill your throne room; never in folly, as complaints or negotiations, but as cries and calls to you in our time of need. Hear them in and through Christ, and do as you will for your glory.
Comfort us we pray; be never far from us. Inform and fortify our souls, that we might endure the world and its troubles. Help us to be true to you first. Give our hands and feet strength to keep right our homes, to watch over those in our charge, and to be steadfast in all things as we walk in your presence.
Keep us diligent for holy desires, to see your love in all that we do; to be to our families and neighbors what you are to us. Then, they will know that we are yours, and not our own. Move through us, to them; that our lives may prove the power of your mercy and grace evermore…
Hallowed and blessed be your name in all things. Bring now your Kingdom in its fulness, perfection and eternal glory.
In Christ our Lord, we pray; amen.†
05-19-2024 #227—Sermon Passage, John 11:45-57, “Two Responses, Two Plans”
Adoration: LORD God: our Father, Savior and Comforter: You O’God, have known us from before you knit together the heavens. You formed our bodies from the earth and our spirits from your breath. You knew us in Adam, and throughout the generations still. You bring to fruition, and hold together all things. You determine the role every soul and event plays: What will perish and what will endure, what is fleeting and everlasting, beginning to end.
From the Holy Covenant, through all those broken by man, to your Perfect Final Covenant in Christ, you have been gracious to your beloved: keeping us safe in the mix, under your watch, and tethered in the storm. For after creation, the enemy came forth, a tempter, deceiver and hater of souls; a wanderer traversing time, to disturb and destroy virtue. A thief, liar, and murderer, fighting fruitless battles; he moves concentrically in, and through the hearts of men, bringing rebellion, ruin and death.
As the father of death and lies, his people always plot against you, O’Lamb of God. They desire to pierce and crush you; to stop all that you do, and cause others to reject and despise you. Their only longing, is to strip you of your glory, and bring the void—to everything. They cannot esteem what destroys them, so they hide their faces from you, O’High king of heaven: who made them from the dust and gave them the breath of life.
Many have seen what you have done and believed. Many have seen your glorious deeds and cried out: “What will we do with this King of Glory, who takes away the sins of the world, to leave us with nothing? Let us then, murder him before he ruins our place; before the eyes of the weak see him and grow strong, let the passion of his end, be our passion.”
Confession: Lord, we confess that we have seen your glory disregarded, and have witnessed your betrayal again and again. Yet we are not moved by mocking tongues, for by your mercy, our minds and hearts are in your hands. We confess, that in meek attire, we are willing, and shall fight where you have place us, to defend as seems wise.
Still though, it is you who injure or heal as you see fit. Even when we have misjudged, mis-spoken or emoted like fools, you calm our hearts and subdue our thoughts, showing us a better way.
Thanksgiving: Thank you for watching over our infancy, for forgiving us our sins, and for working in our lives with all goodness and blessings. Thank you for strengthening us for your purposes; and for the assurance that you are always in us and with us, and will never leave.
You have filled us with your life, peace and joy. We thank you always for your kindness and shall prove daily the blessing as true. Our praise and thanks go to you alone, for you alone are worthy!
Supplication: Father, protect us in Christ from the Evil One who desires to have us. We ask this and all things of you; from the greatest to the least of things. Help us to trust you unhesitant; to be wise in all our ways, to be loyal, truthful, loving, selfless and sacrificial. Help us to have hope, humility, compassion, empathy, kindness, and mercy toward others.
Help us to exercise forgiveness in the right measure, to have integrity, honesty, sincerity, and moral uprightness in our thoughts, words, and deeds.
Help us to be patient, kind, generous and fiercely unmovable. Shape us, and keep us sincere, that we may show a steadfast and authentic demeanor of hope to the world.
May we persevere in the pursuit of a life that honors you and embodies the image of Christ’s as witness.
For your glory in these things and more, we pray, amen.
05-26-2024 #228—Sermon Passage, John 12:1-11, “Worship and Wickedness”
Adoration: LORD of Heaven, King of Glory: your Spirit enfolds ours; we are in you—through Christ in us. How wonderful are your works, how merciful your salvation. Our minds can barely grasp the notion, its righteousness, its eternal nature and everlasting beauty, yet, it is ours apparent. Your goodness is overwhelming.
You are the almighty God, the great I am. Your works of creation are a storehouse of Splendor. All of your allowances are providential, wise, and purposeful. In Christ, you have provided your beloved with deliverance, justification, perseverance and sanctification. It is a seed and yet a flower in full bloom, the effects of sin are engulfed by it—and crushed.
Our refuge is Christ, your righteous wrath appeased. You have raised us from the dead and shall yet raise us further. We recline at your table and have no other hunger. You are the bread and the wine, what more could we desire? You have anointed and consecrated us with fragrant oils, poured over us out of purest love.
You answer us from your holy heaven with the saving power of your right hand. You have anointed your people with the pure ointment of righteousness, reconciliation and love. Its scent fills the heavens, and its aroma filters out to the ends of the earth. Rather than ashes, you clothe us in beautiful attire. You give us the solace of joy in place of mourning, a strong embrace instead of a distant spirit.
That we may be called oaks of righteousness, our roots go deep into Christ and grow out from him. He is our strength in the faith, and our sabbath rest. In him, your Spirit O’LORD God is upon us; it is the fragrance of good news to the poor. You have come to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and to open the prison gates for those who were held.
You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; caused gladness to overflow its bounds; and put an end to sin. You have atoned for our iniquity, and proven the visions, the promises, and the prophets as true.
Confession: Father, we confess our sins, those we know well, and those we resist to admit. Though they are always before you, we confess them all, turn from them, and lean upon your mercy. We confess our trust in your faithful promise to forgive and restore us daily.
You have done for us what we would not, nor could not, have done for ourselves. Yet too, we confess that images of self-rescue still entice us. They are but prideful and arduous dreams. We know such things are an affront to you; make right our hearts to yield in trust.
Thanksgiving: LORD God, we thank you in every circumstance that comes before us, and for your will in Christ on our behalf. We enter your gates with thanksgiving and your courts with praise of your holy name.
Thank you for the peace of Christ to rule in our minds, to reveal truth, to bring us fellowship with you, and to dissolve the rebellion of our souls. We give thanks to you always in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, our Redeemer, Perfector of our faith, and Healer of our wounds.
Supplication: Father, allow us now, to know you better, to hold well to our place in Christ and to walk with him before you. Keep us from the shadows to stand evident in the open light. That we may show ourselves to you and others clearly, and without false manner.
Help us to see all things in their eternal import, and to be free of any illusion that would delude our thinking, or diminish our authenticity as children of the gospel.
In whatever we do, whether in word or deed, help us to do so in the name of our Lord, whose wounds have made us well. In and through him alone, we contend, amen.
06-09-2024 #229—Sermon passage, John 12:27-36, “Purpose and Glory”
Adoration: Father in heaven, Faith Giver, Redeemer and LORD; you are the center of all that is Good, Righteous and True. You establish and decree your perfect and complete law. By it, you graciously restore the people of your mercy; and in it, they remain forever good.
So, what shall we say? Our troubled souls have seen the coming of our salvation. Our weeping and our songs of hope have not been missed by you. Our fears are swallowed in love. Our Messiah, cast down in his suffering, yet in your voice of splendor O’God, is a thundering love. Glory upon glory, in deafening array, you have spoken to us directly, and for our sake; that our hearts may know: you are God alone, and there is no other.
Eternal consequence in spiritual realms, fall upon the world; yet the blind cannot see it, nor hear it, nor understand it. By death, comes power over death; its very core is cast out; its founder, the deceiver and ruler of fallen souls—that murderer and harbinger of ruin, is deposed forever. The record of his debts, stand against him, but our debts, each one, are expunged, annulled and removed.
Up from the earth, up from the dust of man and the lowest sorrows, the savior rises. In him, the world is brought into a vortex which draws to it every eye. There is nothing beyond its circle of glory. It is both peace and war, comfort and dismay, law and mercy. By it, —in him, the righteous are mended, brought to life, and bathed in beauty. Yet the wicked are brought to ruin, and reprehension; the darkness of the grave covers them, and their names fade into naught.
You, O’Son of man, O’Son of God, are the light that illumines the darkness. You have overtaken the shadows, and dispersed them to the void. The sons of light trust in you; the sons of darkness trust in themselves. In measured view, the Evil One, his children and his beast, with the false prophet, have earned their endless torment.
Confession: Lord, we confess you wholeheartedly. We know where we are going, for we know where you have been. You are our confession and our covenant, our only defender and comfort. You are our heart of wisdom, as all good things become foolish, in the hands of fools.
You have dealt well with our sins; exposed them to us, cast them upon another and revealed the misery of them to the world. You have forgiven us of what we could not make right, nor afford to bear; for the unrighteous cannot do what is good, nor even desire it.
Thanksgiving: In giving thanks, we bow down. Though it seems far too distant, and far too little, receive now our gifts of praise and gratitude. Your grace has overtaken us. Your welcoming cheers us. Your mercy has changed our souls and your love has shaped us for an eternal home.
Thank you for giving us faith to exercise, and for showing us what true virtue is. You suffered us, held our demise at bay, and crushed our deep offenses; and now, you even form Christ within us, moment-by-moment and day-by-day. Thank you for giving us the wisdom to see goodness and to desire to do what is good; for you alone are good.
Supplication: Hear our prayers, O Lord. Give ear to our supplications and to the needs we cannot form words to define, yet our hearts clearly speak of. Answer us in your faithfulness, your righteousness and your provision. We desire that your will alone, be perfected in us.
Father, remove our disbelief, help us to pray in accord with the Spirit, and without ceasing. As you see the truth in context, and are never deceived, so also, may we see. May your pleasure in all matters, be ours.
In boldness, make known to us, the mystery and splendor of the gospel, that we would not see the lost as lost, but as ourselves when without you. For your eyes are toward the righteous, and you ears attend to their prayers, but not so for those who do evil.
For your glory and the sake of Jesus Christ our Savior we pray, amen.
06-16-2024 #230—Sermon Passage, John 12:36-50, “The Tragedy of Unbelief”
Adoration: Almighty God, LORD of heaven and earth, most Gracious Father, Son and Holy Spirit: Your compassion O’God and wonderful works, fill all of creation. It cannot be missed. You give life, and provide for all flesh. Your chosen angels and children, boast of your glorious Love, your providential covering and their trust in you. Your holiness fills the universe with splendor, goodness and virtue.
Yet a blight and a stain, have their field of ruin, where no measure of goodness, truth or beauty takes root. Its core is the shape of malice. Though persuasive, its strength, and resilience, is in what it lacks. Uprooted, it is thrown into the abyss, forever falling into itself. Save Christ as man, — all men have turned aside, all have sinned, none are righteous, no-one understands; no-one knows or seeks after God; no one does good, not even one. Together they have become worthless. Their throats are an open grave of deception. Their native tongue is a language of lies and half-truths. They comfort each other with a smile and a nod. Like wine at a meal, they drink each other’s venom as it drips from their mouths. Their talk is full of curses and bitterness. They are swift to shed blood. Because they do not honor peace, in their wake they leave only ruin, misery and death. Though the glory of God is always before them, they refuse to acknowledge him, decline to esteem him, and do not fear him whatsoever.
Blessed Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, hallowed be your name. Though we were like all men are, body and soul, you have done a wonderous work. You have blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing. In him, you chose us from before the foundation of the world, to become holy and blameless before you. We cannot grasp anything in us to explain it. Yet in love, you destined us for adoption into yourself, as sons and daughters through our Lord. All of this is according to the purpose of your will, to the praise of your glorious grace and mercy, by which you have blessed us in your Beloved One.
You have lavished your love upon us according to the riches and perfections of Christ. By all wisdom and insight, you have made known to us the mystery of his purpose and will, which you set forth in him. By his blood, we have redemption, forgiveness of our sins, and life everlasting. In the fulness of time, all things in heaven and earth are being united in him. He is our inheritance, and our destiny according to the purpose of his will. Our hope is in him, to the praise of his glory. In him alone, is the word of truth; for he is the very gospel of salvation. Your gift of faith O’Father—our belief, seals us in Christ through the Holy Spirit, to the praise of his glory. Your Spirit within us, is the guarantee of our inheritance fully acquired.
You O’Lord are the Light that shines. You embrace those who see and hear you, and you heal them. You hide yourself from the deaf, blind and hardhearted: their wounds will remain in them forever. Yet your great sovereignty and man’s responsibility remain true. Though with no ability to believe, they also have no desire. Though they are blinded in the presence of miracles, they are guilty of their refusal to see; for their hearts seek man’s approval rather than God’s. So, the evidence means nothing to them. They judge themselves by their unbelief. Because they did not believe in God nor trust in his salvation, their feet are set downward to a darkened path.
LORD, all day long, you have spread out your hands to a rebellious people, but they walk where their desires pull them. Their thoughts are never like yours. Without virtue, without truth and without renewed hearts, they will always reject you and your words. So, on the last day, the Word you have spoken, will judge them.
Confession: LORD, we confess openly, that we were once as rebellious, as our kind have been from the first sin. Our sins, even as little ones, was the path of our desire. But you have washed us clean and have purified us through a great atonement. You have molded a freedom within us; and it surround us; and makes us free from guilt. In our Lord Jesus Christ, by your Holy Spirit, you have redeemed, justified and consecrated us.
Our confession is that we retell, and believe, in all you have spoken and done. To confess you continually, and turn away from sin daily, is but a portion of your glory we grasp. For if we kept silent, our bones would waste away, and our groaning would fill our homes day and night.
Thanksgiving: Father, thank you for hearing our voices and our pleas for mercy. You always incline your ear to us, and we thank you, and call on you for all things with assurance of your kindness as long as we live.
We thank you in times of stress, disquiet and misery. We thank you in times of relief, tranquility, comfort and contentment. For all things, may our gratitude be apparent to you, and the world. You have delivered our souls from death, our eyes from tears, and our feet from stumbling that we may walk before you, in the land of the living.
Supplication: Lord Father, give us daily your bread of life, and the living water that satisfies our thirst forever. It is the well that springs up to eternal life; no other drink compares.
Give us righteous desires, that we may act on them earnestly. Help us Father, for you chose us, and appointed us to go, bear fruit, and endure all things for your sake. So, in whatever we ask of you, by your will may you grant, in the name of our Lord.
And, if we should lack wisdom, give it to us generously, without reprove, that it may be our way and our practice in all things. May we gently but firmly exercise it, as our trust in you grows.
By such application, may you, O’Father, be glorified in your Son our Lord, and pleased with your children now and forever, amen.
06-23-2024 #231—Sermon Passage, John 13:1-20, “An Important Lesson”
Adoration: O’Father God, O’Shepherd our Lord, Good Spirit our Comforter and Keeper: Be glorified in and through us—your beloved. In this world and before it, O’Lord, you have always loved your own, even to the end of their days. Those who reject you already have their reward; but you came for your people.
Those who love you seek after you, their soul’s pursuit, proves it true. They are kept alive by the need you have given them. We praise you for your perfect wisdom. You are good and we are not, until within you, we are hidden. For on our own, we are vile and self-centered, prone to look about for other lands and other tastes. Yet by your will, and to your glory, you are now all we seek.
Your sweet love for us, protects us from all wrath. You have stood between us and destruction, to take fully, the glorious rage of God. You have promised to take us out of our dry lands and dusty graves, to cleanse us, make us pure, remove every foul desire, and bring us into your land—forever. You have removed the barrier of our uncleanliness. You are the Shepherd and stone of Israel; your bow remains steady.
But we are too shallow to grasp the fulness of your love. Our minds have not the intellect, nor our hearts the depth of compassion to hold an insight into such perfection. If we try to solve this mystery, or repay your kindness, our thoughts will deceive us, and delusion will rule our every effort.
You have taken away our idols, given us new thoughts, and a new spirit within. You loved us first; and in love, we desire to obey you—that such, might serve as proof of passion. As you have put your very Spirit into us, your commands and your laws, are ours to bear-out in joy. If our adoration shows true, we will bless and be blessed by you forever.
Confession: For we confess, if we try to do good without you behind it, everything we do is feeble and dead. Having you in all that we do, is our intent. For unless you move in us, we cannot move, unless you open our eyes, we cannot see, and unless you cleanse us, we will not be clean.
By our nature, there is no pure love in our souls; our affections are turned away from you, and we are slaves bound to illicit desire. Until you free our hearts from their love of death we cannot know a life of perfection. You are God and have power over everything; apart from you, goodness, purity and salvation—does not exist.
Thanksgiving: Thank you, our God and Father: You protect our minds from Belial, the Lying Spirit, who whispers: “follow your heart; be whatever you want; denounce everything that restrains you; your freedom is in rebellion.”
But thanks be to God, our Lord and friend, who is grander and brighter than all the stars together. He is our heart and the King we follow. Though sin and shame belong to us, all goodness, life, and truth, are in him alone.
Supplication: So, we pray, keep us from fault when some strange desire fills our thoughts or moves our hearts. Help us daily, to recognize how fallen we have been. Help us see clearly, that the world holds no glory, and though our lives are in it, we are no longer its sons and daughters.
Lord, and Teacher: You have washed us; wash us still. Help us to understand what you have done for us. Use us then to cleanse the world, to love the unlovable, to be merciful to the worthless and to extend grace where none should be given. Yet, may all our judgments be pleasing to you, and as wise as yours.
In the purity, love, and mercy of Christ—we pray, amen.
06-30-2024 #232—Sermon Passage, Acts 8:26-40, “Be Ready and Willing”
Adoration: O’LORD, our loving Father, for the greater good of your name, you are gracious and kind to sinners. You are merciful to the mistreated, and the innocent—cut off from life. For love’s sake, you give your angel to us, to save us, and direct us. You charge us: Rise up and go, join with, and speak the word of truth to all people; to the proud in their arrogance and humble in their ignorance.
LORD, you have shown us the rich and the poor as they are; both bound to their graves in sin. Unless they are guided, unless you speak through your people, unless you open their hearts: they cannot understand what or who to worship. For there is no good news in the hearts of men, until Christ becomes that news. Neither through imagination, nor in the deceiving stories of angels, can anything rescue them from their rebellion.
Who O’Lord, are those that believed what they have heard from us? And to whom have you revealed your strength? Who but your own have understood? Who but your own have heard? Can they not see that this man, our savior, grew up before you like a young plant, like a root out of dry ground? Though not in the form of God, or with the majesty of a king, without obvious beauty to draw men to himself, or to be desired of men: He has said every true word all people need; yet they have not esteemed, or revered him; but despised and rejected him.
Though his beauty is pure and true, men deny him; they hide their faces from him. Though the shadows, and the shades of deceit scatter in the light of his glory, men love the darkness. Though he was acquainted with grief, sorrow and lament, he endured all things for the joy set before him. Though his virtue and wisdom are a wonder to those who have insight; it is hollow, and dull, to the minds and hearts of unbelievers.
Confession: Father, from out of our wonder, comfort and glory, we confess: Like wandering sheep, we too, had gone astray. We had turned from the good pastures, into a dry and rocky land. So, you laid our iniquities upon your lamb. For our sake, he was miserable, stricken and put to death. In our stead, your full wrath and terrible judgment, fell upon him.
Though he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in him, he bore our griefs and carried our sorrows. As a lamb to the slaughter, he was silent before the shearer. He alone was crushed and cut-down for our wickedness. He alone was cut-off from the land of the living, to be buried among the graves of the wicked.
Thanksgiving: O’Christ our Lord, our thanks, and gratitude are yours forever. For out of the anguish of your body and soul you bore the consequence of our sins, made an offering for our guilt, and satisfied the wrath of the Father.
Glory to you; for by your suffering, many are counted as righteous. Hidden in you and born from out of you, we are baptized in your blood, in pure waters, and now forever, your children.
Supplication: O’LORD God, we pray, baptize us your beloved, with the good and great news. In Christ, cleanse us daily from our offenses; and once more, set straight our path. You have brought us through the waters of death, into those of eternal life. Let our spoken creed—reveal the life of our soul.
Let nothing stop our mouths from speaking of your glory, of our trust in you, and of your covering over us.
With Christ as our Angel and our King, may our dull hearts, minds, and tongues be honed sharp.
Keep us ready and willing through love, to reason with the lost and dying. Keep us steady as we inform the world, and show true the reason for our hope in you.
Use us in the lives of others, to show something of who you are, and of what you have done.
For your glory we pray, amen.