Our Family Daily Prayers Part II – begins Feb 3, 2020

Daily Devotional Material

is available at our Web site trinityh.org and specifically at the tab “Daily Life,” Congregational Life.

Our Family Daily Prayers – include weekly recommendation for psalm, hymn, AM/PM readings, a quotation(usually from Luther), catechism, upcoming collect, a picture, and a prayer from Oremus.

Our Family Daily Prayers for Gesima/Lent/Easter One 2020 One-sided – Print one-sided, easier to view on screen

Our Family Daily Prayers for Gesima/Lent/Easter One 2020 – Booklet – Print two- sided to form booklet

Lutheran Herald, Feb 2 through 29, 2020 – includes -recommended daily reading, devotion and prayer, Bishop’s Address, and Doctrine and Practice from The Lutheran Liturgy.

Lutheran Herald February 2020.pdf.  You can also sign up for devotions at Eldona.org.

For The Church, For the Parish Church 6

ALMIGHTY God, Everlasting Father, Who dost refresh us as we have need, and dost strengthen our faith with heavenly food, so that we go from strength to strength: Vouchsafe to all who receive at this altar the holy sacrament of the body and blood of Thy dear Son, to approach this holy mystery with pure hearts, believing desire and devout thanksgiving, that, comforted with Thy eternal love and goodness, they may be nourished and strengthened in faith, live in love and to the praise of Thy holy name and finally attain to Thy presence in eternity, through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.  (Oremus, 1925, p.70-71).

#15 The Word of God is the True Holy Ointment

Yet this holy possession is the true holy possession, the true ointment that anoints unto life eternal, even though you cannot have a papal crown or a bishop’s hat, but must die bare and naked, just like children (in fact, all of us), who are baptized naked and without any adornment. But we are speaking of the external word, preached orally by men like you and me, for this is what Christ left behind as an external sign, by which his church, or his Christian people in the world, should be recognized. We also speak of this external word as it is sincerely believed and openly professed before the world, as Christ says, “Every one who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father and his angels” [Matt. 10:32]. There are many who know it in their hearts, but will not profess it openly. Many possess it, but do not believe in it or act by it, for the number of those who believe in and act by it is small—as the parable of the seed in Matthew 13 [:4–8] says that three sections of the field receive and contain the seed, but only the fourth section, the fine and good soil, bears fruit with patience. (Luther’s Works, v.41, p.149-150)

Picture:  The Sickle Rake and Sheaf refers to Mt 13:24ff where the believers are gathered like wheat and brought into God’s barn.

For The Church, For the Parish Church 5

MOST Merciful Father, Who in Thy dear Son hast given us the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and through Him dost call all men to give Thee heart and soul and strength .and life: Vouchsafe to all who, here before this altar, confess the Lord Jesus before men, the blessing of Thy Holy Spirit, that in Thy Church they may be living stones, elect and precious; through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.  (Oremus, 1925, p.70).

#14 First, the Church Has Possession of The Holy Word of God

First, the holy Christian people are recognized by their possession of the holy word of God. To be sure, not all have it in equal measure, as St. Paul says [I Cor. 3:12–14]. Some possess the word in its complete purity, others do not. Those who have the pure word are called those who “build on the foundation with gold, silver, and precious stones”; those who do not have it in its purity are the ones who “build on the foundation with wood, hay, and straw,” and yet will be saved through fire. More than enough was said about this above. This is the principal item, and the holiest of holy possessions,385 by reason of which the Christian people are called holy; for God’s word is holy and sanctifies everything it touches; it is indeed the very holiness of God, Romans 1 [:16], “It is the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith,” and I Timothy 4 [:5], “Everything is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.” For the Holy Spirit himself administers it and anoints or sanctifies the Christian church with it rather than with the pope’s chrism, with which he anoints or consecrates fingers, garb, cloaks, chalices, and stones. These objects will never teach one to love God, to believe, to praise, to be pious. They may adorn the bag of maggots, but afterward they fall apart and decay with the chrism and whatever holiness it contains, and with the bag of maggots itself. (Luther’s Works, v.41, p.148-149)

Picture:  The Alpha and the Omega are from Revelation

For The Church, For the Parish Church 4

MOST Merciful Father, Who hast revealed Thy love in Jesus Christ, Thy dear Son, and through Thy Holy Word dost announce the precious message of salvation in Him: Vouchsafe Thy love to all who hear Thy Word read and preached in this place, that, called to Thy service, they may hold fast the truth, and faithfully bear, unto the end, the yoke of Jesus Christ, Thy dear Son, our Lord, who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.   (Oremus, 1925, p.70).

#13-Heathen Enlightened by the Gospel

That the wise men came to Jerusalem and inquired after the newborn king signifies nothing else than that the heathen were enlightened through the Gospel, came into the Christian church and sought Christ. For Jerusalem is a figure of the Christian church, into which God’s people are gathered, which in German may be called, vision of peace, because in the Christian church peace is seen, that is, when all have a good conscience, and peaceful confidence of heart, who, being in the Christian church and being true Christians, have forgiveness of sins through the grace of God. 133. Now in this peaceful place, Herod the devourer of men, would reign at all times; for all the doctrines and works of men, have in them this vexatious evil, that they in their very nature mislead, oppress, and destroy the true Jerusalem, ensnaring good consciences and pious hearts, teaching them to trust in themselves and in their good works, thereby causing faith to perish, peace and a good conscience to be destroyed, while the rule of Herod with its great show and clamor and faithless works, alone remains. This is what our Gospel wishes to say, that thus Christ was born and sought after at the time of Herod, in the very city of his kingdom. For evangelical truth wages its whole warfare with the false holiness of Herod, and every time it renews the strife it finds Herods, who rule the people with their doctrines and human works, and these things are so for no other reason than that the truth condemns these doings of theirs and teaches the pure grace of God instead of works and pure faith instead of law, in order to rescue the people of God from the reign of Herod, and save them for the true Jerusalem. (Luther’s Church Postil, V. 1.1, #132-133, p. 371-372).

For The Church, For the Parish Church 3

MOST Merciful Father, Who hast revealed Thy love in Jesus Christ, Thy dear Son, and through Thy Holy Word dost announce the precious message of salvation in Him: Vouchsafe Thy love to all who hear Thy Word read and preached in this place, that, called to Thy service, they may hold fast the truth, and faithfully bear, unto the end, the yoke of Jesus Christ, Thy dear Son, our Lord, who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.   (Oremus, 1925, p.69-70).