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Will You Accept the Gift of Lent?

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COVER STORY – Lent

I’ve never found myself in a situation where I felt I needed to refuse a gift. Some obviously have. No honorable woman would ever, for example, accept a diamond ring while refusing a marriage proposal (as much as she might like to). Others may have found it necessary to refuse gifts that would obligate them to unacceptable terms or conditions.
Beginning February 26th, our God will again be offering to each of us the gift of Lent. The question that confronts all Christians each Lenten season is whether we will accept or refuse this divine present. How, why, would any Child of God refuse?

Time for introspection and contemplation

The gift that our God offers in connection with the season of Lent is a unique and invaluable time for introspection and contemplation, but it does not come without certain obligations. Human beings are, by nature, hedonistic, superficial, ungrateful, and lazy. We also have a natural sense of entitlement, imagining that we deserve whatever good things we want or receive. Christians know better, but our Adversary has learned from experience that if he can fill our existence with distractions and obligations, if he can create a world of perpetual preoccupation, he can tap into both our natural laziness and our sense of entitlement, and thereby convince us that the obligations of Lent outweigh the benefits.

Counting the cost

The point here is not that the obligations of Lent aren’t real. They are. Begin therefore by counting the cost. If your plate is truly full, you can’t add more without forcing something else off. “Carving out time” implies that something has to be cut off and discarded. Recognize also that the obligations of Lent involve more than just an hour or two for a half dozen Wednesday services (which can include cleaning off and bundling up little ones, a cold car ride, and the disruption of the family routine). Will You Accept the Gift of Lent?

“Were You There?”

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DEVOTION – GOOD FRIDAY

Lent and Holy Week have some very powerful and moving hymns that cause us to pause and contemplate our Savior’s passion. A few hymns that come to mind are, “Go to Dark Gethsemane,” “Stricken, Smitten, and Afflicted,” “O Sacred Head Now Wounded,” and one that captured my imagination as a child, “There Is a Fountain Filled with Blood.”
A hymn for Good Friday that appears in some newer Lutheran hymnals is “Were You There When They Crucified My Lord?” (Christian Worship #119 / Lutheran Service Book #456) A quick search online reveals that this hymn was sung by slaves on plantations in the pre-Civil War era.
The hymn asks us if we “were there” when Jesus was crucified, when He was nailed to the tree, when they laid Him in the tomb, and when God raised Him from the tomb. Each verse echoes with the refrain, “Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.”“Were You There?”

“BREAD OF LIFE” READINGS February 2020

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TLH = The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941; WS = Worship Supplement 2000; LSB = Lutheran Service Book, 2006

Date Hymns Reading Comments
Feb 1 TLH 458 (LSB 766) Luke 11:1-13 How can we not be encouraged to pray? Jesus shows us what sorts of things we can talk to God about and assures us that He will answer us.
Feb 3 TLH 10; LSB 849 Luke 11:14-26 Jesus certainly can’t be in league with Satan or under Satan’s control if He is able to drive out demons.
Feb 4 TLH 283 (LSB 582) Luke 11:27-32 Jesus’ words are wiser than Solomon’s and greater than Jonah’s, so let’s pay attention to them. Those who treasure Jesus’ words are happy!
Feb 5 TLH 264 (LSB 658) Luke 11:33-54 Who are those whose light shines into the world? Those who hear the Word of the apostles and prophets.“BREAD OF LIFE” READINGS February 2020

“We Are Beggars. This is True.”

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DEVOTION – DEATH OF LUTHER

February 18, 2020 will mark 474 years since the death of Dr. Martin Luther in 1546. His tireless efforts and bravery, born from a heart set free by the Gospel of full and free forgiveness in Christ, were God’s instruments to shine this same Gospel on countless hearts and lives, including our own. Among his many accomplishments are these:“We Are Beggars. This is True.”

“BREAD OF LIFE” READINGS January 2020

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TLH = The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941; WS = Worship Supplement 2000; LSB = Lutheran Service Book, 2006

Date Hymns Reading Comments
Jan 1 TLH 529 (LSB 719) Judges 1:1-3 When the Israelites did not know what to do, they asked the Lord. Judah followed the Lord’s direction, as should we in this new year.
Jan 2 WS 706 (LSB 388) Judges 2:8-18 After the death of Joshua, the Israelites fell away from the Lord in just a generation. It reminds us how important it is to teach our children to fear of the Lord.
Jan 3 WS 714 (LSB 378) Judges 3:7-11 Israel had done evil, yet when they turned to the Lord for mercy He was merciful and gave them a leader to lead them away from their sinful ways.“BREAD OF LIFE” READINGS January 2020

Jesus, Baptized for Us

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DEVOTION – JESUS’ BAPTISM

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them
in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”
Matthew 28:19

We who have been baptized know the power and purpose of Baptism. It was our lost and sinful condition from conception which prompted our Triune God to give us this blessed sacrament. From birth we cannot, nor do we even have the desire to, follow our Lord or keep His commands. Our hearts needed a transformation—a conversion. The Holy Spirit alone can give that change of heart and create saving faith. Often—as is the case with infants—it is the Spirit working through the water and Word of Baptism that effects conversion.Jesus, Baptized for Us

“WHY?”

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GOD SPEAKS TO THE SUFFERING CHRISTIAN Personal tragedy – whether your own, or that of someone close to you—has a way of making an anguished person ask this question: “If there really is a God,… “WHY?”

“BREAD OF LIFE” READINGS December 2019

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TLH = The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941; WS = Worship Supplement 2000; LSB = Lutheran Service Book, 2006

Date Hymns Reading Comments
Dec 2 TLH 381 (LSB 587) 2 John Remain in the teachings of Christ, both Law and Gospel, lest you become deceived and led away from the truth.
Dec 3 WS 729 (LSB 462) Revelation 1:9-18 Though He is the almighty Son of God, Jesus Christ holds no fear for us—rather He holds the keys of death and the grave!
Dec 4 TLH 528 (LSB 724) Joshua 10:1-14 We do not need to be afraid, because God is with us—our God Who can even make the sun stand still.
Dec 5 WS 731 Revelation 2:8-11 Do not fear any of the things which the devil and the world can throw at you, for in the end you have a crown of life.
Dec 6 TLH 406; (LSB 697) 3 John In this “postcard” to Gaius, we are encouraged to continue to walk in the truth and love the brethren as he was doing.“BREAD OF LIFE” READINGS December 2019

Watching Attentively for Christ’s Return

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DEVOTION – ADVENT

Do you ever read to the bottom of a page and then double back to the top after realizing you didn’t absorb any of it? Or have you ever been at the wheel of a car and encountered the unsettling realization that you’ve been rather inattentive while driving? If so, then you are familiar with the phenomenon known as “zoning out.” It’s a frequent occurrence for many of us. The trouble with zoning out is that you can easily miss important information.
We often think of Advent as the season of preparation for the Messiah’s birth, but adjacent to this is another important Advent theme: watching for Christ’s return. Jesus Himself describes this watching, “It is like a man going to a far country, who left his house and gave authority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch. Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming—in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning.” (Mark 13:34-35) His point is obvious, isn’t it? Our Master, Jesus, is coming back. His return could easily come tomorrow, or even later today! Watching Attentively for Christ’s Return

“BREAD OF LIFE” READINGS NOvember 2019

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TLH = The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941; WS = Worship Supplement 2000; LSB = Lutheran Service Book, 2006

Date / Hymns / Reading Comments
Nov 1 TLH 490 Deuteronomy 18:1-8 The Levites were to devote themselves to the work of the Lord and that was a full time job supported through the people’s offerings.
Nov 2 TLH 32 (LSB 689) 2 Peter 1:1-11 Remembering how you have been cleansed of your sins, follow your Savior diligently in a life of self-control and brotherly love.
Nov 4 TLH 290 2 Peter 1:16-21 The Bible is the sure and certain Word of God—every word just as He intended it to be written for our learning.
Nov 5 TLH 287 (LSB 581) Deuteronomy 27:1-10 The Lord’s Word was to stand in a place of prominence over the people when they entered the promised land.
Nov 6 TLH 263 (LSB 666) 2 Peter 2:4-11 Do not be afraid, the Lord knows how to deliver you from temptation and from the ungodly.
Nov 7 TLH 265 2 Peter 2:12-22 Be on your guard because false teachers are very deceptive and tempting to follow.“BREAD OF LIFE” READINGS NOvember 2019