STUDIES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT Women received their dead raised to life again. And others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings,…
The ROAD TO REFORMATION In observation of the 500th anniversary of the Lutheran Reformation, we are presenting a brief survey of the life of Martin Luther. The series continues with major events in the life…
A SLICE OF LIFE IN THE CLC SNAPSHOTS OF CONGREGATIONS FROM AROUND THE CHURCH OF THE LUTHERAN CONFESSION Zion Lutheran Church is numbered among the oldest congregations in the Church of the Lutheran Confession. Its…
NOTES FROM THE FIELD In this series, thoseinvolved with CLC foreign missions profile one aspect of our overseas endeavors. Paul wrote to the young pastor Timothy, “What you have heard from me in the presence…
MISSION NEWSLETTER Every other month our CLC Board of Missions updates us with recent news from various mission fields. Over the years, the Lord has opened many doors for the CLC to support domestic mission…
TLH = The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941; WS = Worship Supplement 2000; LSB = Lutheran Service Book, 2006
Date Verse Reading Comments
Mar 1 TLH 29 Isaiah 45:1-13 Judah would go into exile, but God had already planned for their release and chosen the man (Cyrus) who would bring it about.
Mar 2 TLH 609/LSB 337; Matthew 25:1-13 In repentance and faith we stand ready for Jesus’ return.
Mar 3 TLH 390 1 Corinthians 1:18-31 Who would have thought the cross could save, but it did! Who would have thought lowly sinners like us could be saved, but we are!
Mar 5 TLH 395/LSB 690; Genesis 39:1-10 Joseph recognized God’s loving care for him, and he was not willing to sin against the One who so loved him (v. 9).
Mar 6 WS 745 Ruth 1:1-16 It wasn’t for family ties alone that Ruth wanted to stay with her mother-in-law. Israel’s God had also won her heart (v. 16).
COVER STORY – Lent
“But Jesus answered them, saying, ‘The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified. Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.’”
(John 12:23-24)
As you read this article, the weather is probably not looking very springlike. If you live in a northern region of our country, the temperature outside may be downright frigid. Snowflakes may be floating in the air. Even if you live in a region that enjoys warmer temperatures, you’re probably not thinking about engaging in outdoor gardening activities like planting flowers or sowing vegetable seeds. The time for doing such things is spring, and spring is a long way off.
It’s interesting, though, that the church year season we recently entered (Lent) comes from the Old English word, lencten, which means “spring.” And though it is true that we aren’t thinking about outdoor gardening work now, there is a seed-sowing that we love to think about especially at this time of year: the seed-sowing that Jesus speaks about in the Bible verse above.
It was Tuesday of Holy Week. Two disciples had just placed before the Savior the request of some Greeks to see Him. Apparently these Greeks had heard about Jesus’ reputation as a prophet and were looking forward to meeting Him. When Jesus heard about their request, His mind turned immediately to the work of redeeming mankind that He was soon to bring to completion. In three days He would be betrayed, arrested, falsely accused, condemned, crucified, and His body buried in a grave. The result of it all would be that souls out of every nation (Greece and countless others!) would be saved for eternity, a thought that filled His heart with joy.
DEVOTION – Maundy Thursday
It takes conviction and effort to be willing to do the up-close and dirty work
of washing a fellow sinner with God’s Word of grace.
Our annual commemoration of the night before Jesus’ crucifixion is known as “Maundy Thursday.” Though it is difficult to be certain, most church historians think that the word maundy is derived from the Latin translation of Jesus’ words, spoken that night, as found in John 13:34: “A new commandment [mandatum novum] I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.”
What could be “new” about this commandment? Jesus had often instructed His disciples to love their neighbors as themselves, and even to love their enemies. At this time, however, Jesus raised the bar considerably. Each believer is to love his fellow Christian “as I have loved you.” In other words, the depth of our love for one another is to be measured by Jesus’ own humble, self-sacrificial love shown to us.
A HYMN OF GLORY LET US SING (TWENTY-NINTH IN A SERIES)
To “take it for granted” is a shorthand way of saying that frequency and abundance of blessings can breed a lack of appreciation for those blessings. That lack of appreciation then hinders thankfulness. That which is part of our usual routine tends to have diminished value in our estimation because we soon see it as “normal” and may then begin to “take it for granted.”
I was reminded of that truth recently when our Florida home was without power for ten days as a result of Hurricane Irma. I normally don’t think about—much less feel specific thankfulness for—the blessings of being able to refrigerate and freeze food, control the temperature of our house, have lights at night, and even enjoy electronic entertainment almost effortlessly. I seldom thanked God for those blessings when they were my “normal,” but how thankful I was for them when the power came back on!
GEMS FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT “And the Lord said to Abraham, ‘Why did Sarah laugh, saying, “Shall I surely bear a child, since I am old?” Is anything too hard for the Lord?’” (Genesis 18:13-14a)…
