#56 XLI: The Principles of Christian Patience, part 4:

But consider the blessed advantages of the cross. It destroys the roots of worldly love in us, and implants the love of God in our heart. The cross begets within us a hatred of the world, and lifts up our minds to the contemplation of things heavenly and divine. If we mortify the deeds of the flesh, the Holy Spirit lives within us; and as the world becomes bitter to our souls, Christ becomes sweeter and sweeter. Greater, indeed, are the mysterious influences and blessing of the cross, since by it God calls us to contrition for our sins, to a true and holy fear of Himself, and to the exercise of patience. When the Lord stands at our heart’s door and knocks, let us open to Him, and hear what He shall speak in our souls. Oh, the world and the carnal outward man may look with contempt upon the cross, but to God and in the eyes of the inward spiritual man it is glorious. What could be more abject and despicable than the passion of Christ, our Saviour, in the eyes of the Jews; and yet what could be more glorious and precious than that same passion of Christ in the eyes of God; since this is the price He paid for the atonement of the sins of the whole world (1 John ii. 2)? And so the righteous man is afflicted: “The righteous man perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart” (Is. lvii. 1); but how precious is the cross,—“precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints” (Ps. cxvi. 15). (Gerhard’s Sacred Meditations – XLI: The Principle of Christian Patience, Repristination Press, p. 239-240)

Divine Service Trinity Nine – August 17, 2025

Order of Divine Service, p.7   The Augustana Service Book and Hymnal
Hymn “O Day of Rest and Gladness” LW 203
Readings:  1 Chronicles 10:6-13, 1 Corinthians 10:6-13, Luke 16:1-9
Hymn of the Day: “Oh, Blest the House, Whate’er Befall” (The Augustana Service Book and Hymnal #47, LW 467, TLH 625)
Sermon
Offertory: “Create in Me…”         p.18
General Prayer………                    p.19-20
Hymn: “Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence” LW 241
Exhortation                                    p.21
Communion Service, p.144 (Lutheran Worship)
Communion Hymns:
“To You, Omniscient Lord of All” LW 234
“What Is The World to Me” LW 418
“Lord of Glory, You Have Bought Us” LW 402
Closing Hymn: “How Blest Are They Who Hear God’s Word” LW 222

–Michael D. Henson, Pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church (Herrin, IL).
Service Bulletin: Trinity-Ninth-Cover-8-17-2025-Online.pdf

Picture:  Ottheinrich Bible 1430 (III:38) The Shrewd Manager Luke 16:1-13

Divine Service St. Mary, Theotokos August 15, 2025

Order of Divine Service, p.7   The Augustana Service Book and Hymnal
Hymn “For All the Faithful Women” HS98 #880 st. 9
Readings:  Isaiah 61:10-11, Galatians 4:4-7, Luke 1:46-55
Hymn “Ye Watchers and Ye Holy Ones” (The Augustana Service Book and Hymnal #99, LW 308)
Sermon
Communion

–Michael D. Henson, Pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church (Herrin, IL).
Service Bulletin: August-15-St-Mary-Theotokos-Insert-2024.pdf

https://vimeo.com/1108851617?share=copy

Catechesis for Trinity Nine – August 13, 2025

On Wednesday nights, Trinity Lutheran Church(Herrin, IL) offers to both children and adults an opportunity for teaching with Learn-by-Heart at 6:30 PM and a catechetical service at 7:00 PM.

This service is designed to prepare God’s people for the theme of the upcoming Sunday Divine Service.  This service is designed to prepare God’s people for the theme of the upcoming Sunday Divine Service.  The dialog sermon explains Jesus’ teaching on the shrewd manager (St. Luke 16:1-13), which is the Holy Gospel for the Ninth Sunday after Trinity.

Learn-by-Heart will include the hymn “Ye Baptized People, One and All” (The Augustana Service Book and Hymnal), Small Catechism, Fourth Commandment and meaning, and St. Luke 16:9.

–Michael D. Henson, Pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church (Herrin, IL).

Service Bulletin:  Catechesis-Trinity-9-08-13-2025.pdf
Insert for Hymn:  ASBH-Ye-Baptized-People-One-and-All.pdf
Suffrages:  Suffrages-for-Catechesis-2024-Online.pdf

#55 XLI: The Principles of Christian Patience, part 3:

Consider, moreover, the tribulation which the saints of the past have endured. Behold the patriarch Job, “as he sat down among the ashes” to weep (Job ii. 8); John the Baptist fasting in the wilderness (Luke iii. 2); Peter extended upon a cross, and James beheaded by the sword of Herod (Acts xii. 2). Think of Mary, the blessed mother of our Saviour, standing with pierced heart under the cross (John xix. 25), who in some sense becomes a type of Christ’s Church, the spiritual mother of our Lord. “Blessed are ye,” says Christ, “when men shall persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for My sake, for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you” (Matt. v. 11, 12). O glorious persecutions, which link us to the apostles and prophets, and to all the saints, aye to our blessed Christ Himself. Let us patiently suffer then with the saints of God, who have suffered in His cause; let us even rejoice to be crucified with those who have been crucified, that we may at last be glorified with those who have been glorified. If we are indeed sons of God, let us not refuse to share the portion of the rest of His children. If we truly desire to be heirs of God, let us joyfully accept all that heirship involves. But let us remember that as sons of God we are heirs not only of the joy and glory of the future life, but also of the sorrow and of the suffering of this present life, for “God scourgeth every son whom He receiveth” (Heb. xii. 6). He punishes our sins here that He may spare us punishment in the day of judgment; He lays tribulation after tribulation upon us here, that there He may bestow upon us an exceeding weight of glory; and, indeed, the reward far exceeds, in proportion, the persecutions we suffer here. (Gerhard’s Sacred Meditations – XLI: The Principle of Christian Patience, Repristination Press, p. 237-238)

Divine Service Trinity Eight – August 10, 2025

Order of Divine Service, p.7   The Augustana Service Book and Hymnal
Hymn “Dearest Jesus, at Your Word” LW 202
Readings:  Jeremiah 15:19-21, Romans 8:12-17, Matthew 7:15-23
Hymn of the Day: “The Will of God Is Always Best” (The Augustana Service Book and Hymnal #46, LW 425, TLH 517)
Sermon
Offertory: “Create in Me…”         p.18
General Prayer………                    p.19-20
Hymn: “Draw Near and Take the Body of the Lord” LW #240
Exhortation                                    p.21
Communion Service, p.144 (Lutheran Worship)
Communion Hymns: “In God, My Faithful God” LW 421, TLH 526
“For Me to Live Is Jesus” LW 267, TLH 597
“O Holy Spirit, Enter In” LW 160
Closing Hymn: “Savior, Again to Your Dear Name” LW 221, TLH 47

–Michael D. Henson, Pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church (Herrin, IL).
Service Bulletin: Trinity-Eighth-Cover-8-10-2025-Online.pdf

Picture:  Ottheinrich Bible 1430 (II:35) Healing of Boy Mark 9:14-32

Matins St. Laurence Deacon and Martyr – August 10, 2025

Order of Matins, p.208  Lutheran Worship
Office Hymn “Oh, What Their Joy” HS 98 #838
Psalmody:  119:81-88, Ps 31:1,3,5, Ps 34
Readings:  2 Corinthians 9:6-10, St. John 12:24-26
Hymn of the Day: “I Know of a Sleep in Jesus’ Name” (The Augustana Service Book and Hymnal #98)

–Michael D. Henson, Pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church (Herrin, IL).
Service Bulletin: August-10-St-Laurence-Matins-2025-Online.pdf

Picture:  We just got our parking lot sealed and striped.  There is a parking place for you!

#54 XLI: The Principles of Christian Patience, part 2:

Think of the inconceivable reward held out to thee. “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Rom. viii. 18). Whatever our suffering may be here, it is only for a time—nay, it is sometimes but for a day—but the glory that awaits us is forever and ever. God knows perfectly all our adversities, and some day He will bring them all into judgment (Ecc. xii. 14). Oh, how distressing it will be for us to appear in that august gathering of all the universe without the ornaments of the cross and of our sufferings for Christ upon us. “And God Himself shall wipe away all tears from their eyes” (Is. xxv. 8; Rev. vii. 17; xxi. 4). O happy tears, which such a hand of such a Lord shall wipe away! O blessed cross, that shall in heaven be exchanged for such a reward! Scarce ten years did King David spend in exile, but for forty he ruled in his kingdom (2 Sam. v. 5). Here we may see prefigured the brevity of our life of suffering, and the unending glory which is to follow. ’Tis but a mere point of time after all in which the saints of God, often objects of the world’s pity, suffer the hardships of the cross; for “weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning” (Ps. xxx. 5). (Gerhard’s Sacred Meditations – XLI: The Principle of Christian Patience, Repristination Press, p. 236-237)