We are searching for a new Senior Pastor at Mount of Olives Church in Mission Viejo, California.
Please check out the job description (and video) on the search firm’s website: https://www.vanderbloemen.com/job/senior-pastor-mount-of-olives-church/
The link to the Pastoral Call page on the church’s website is https://moochurch.org/home/senior-pastor-call
PROP: Puzzle–choose one that best fits the age group of your kids. A simple shape or alphabet puzzle is recommended. A 500 or 1,000 piece puzzle is not recommended.
Pastor: Good morning boys and girls! Let’s say good morning to our friend Sammy and see if she is there. Ready? One, two, three…Good morning, Sammy!
Sammy: Good morning boys and girls!
Pastor: Today I have a special activity for everyone. We are going to put together a puzzle!
Sammy: A puzzle! Oh that’s wonderful!
Pastor: Yes it is!
Sammy: What’s a puzzle?
Pastor: Well, a puzzle is a wonderful activity where you take pieces of wood or cardboard or paper, and you try to fit them together to make a picture.
Sammy: What kind of puzzle did you bring?
Pastor: I brought this puzzle for us. [Show puzzle to children]
Sammy: That looks pretty challenging, Pastor.
Pastor: I think we can do it if we work together. What do you think, boys and girls?
[Provide a few minutes for children to assemble puzzle. Make note of who is doing more work, and who is doing nothing/very little]
Pastor: All done! Shall we show the congregation? [Hold up puzzle]
Sammy: Wow! You did a great job! Today is a day when I wish I had thumbs like you guys.
Pastor: That’s okay, Sammy. You were a great observer. But you know what?
Sammy: What’s that, Pastor?
Pastor: I noticed that ____ worked really hard on our puzzle and put a lot of pieces in place. Will you stand here please? [Have children line up in the approximate order in which they offered help, from the most help, to the least help.]
Sammy: Anyone who just watched can stand at the end of the line. Don’t worry–I just watched the puzzle come together, too.
Pastor: Jesus teaches in our Gospel text today that hard work and generosity as defined by God are different from how we define hard work and generosity. You see, Jesus talks about how God gives generously to all people who work for him, whether they did a lot or a little.
Sammy: That doesn’t seem fair.
Pastor: Jesus’s rules are different from man’s rules.
Sammy: So what else does Jesus say?
Pastor: Jesus teaches that he is allowed to be generous with what belongs to him. He also teaches that the first shall be last and the last shall be first.
Sammy: What does that mean?
Pastor: Jesus gives to each of us as believers, and he does things that may be mysterious to us. Today, some of you were watchers like Sammy. I am going to give you a treat first. Others of you helped me with the puzzle a lot. I am going to give you a treat last. Each of you will get a treat, but just like Jesus teaches, the first shall be last, and the last shall be first.
Sammy: When you get your treat, let’s sit down together so we can pray.
Pastor: Dear Jesus, thank you for helping us to understand how much you love us and other people. Thank you for giving generously to us. We love you. Amen.
Sammy: Bye, everyone!
Pastor: Bye, Sammy!
September 2026
Dear Friends in Christ –
The First Reading for September 13 from Genesis 50 is the culmination of the account of the reconciliation between Joseph and his brothers. There is something absolutely amazing going on here – the healing and restoring of a broken relationship through confession, repentance, and the giving and receiving of forgiveness.
A few chapters before Judah had offered to stay behind in Egypt in place of Benjamin in order to not break their father’s heart. Here we see the selfless act of a person who is willing to suffer the punishment that was coming to someone else. And that person is a biological ancestor of Jesus.
The brothers go back home, knowing full well that they are now going to have to tell old Jacob, “Joseph is still alive.” The problem is that in saying that they are going to have to tell their father what they did twenty-two years before.
Reconciliation and restored relationship are not about avoiding difficult conversations or uncomfortable, unpleasant situations or covering them up. Instead reconciliation and restored relationship always require telling the truth.
The miracle of rebuilt trust and community takes truth telling, confession, repentance, and forgiveness. And that is what happens here. After twenty-two years it happens here. For the first time – finally – they are a family.
Where in your life is a relationship that needs reconciliation? Where have you been most deeply hurt by someone? And/or where have you most deeply hurt someone else?
Think about the one who hurt you. You might think, he or she does not deserve to be forgiven. Maybe he or she does not deserve it. Neither did Joseph’s brothers deserve it. Neither do you and I deserve it.
Forgive him or her anyway. Do it because of the One who also was stripped of His robe, who also was deserted and betrayed, and who said, “I will pay the price. I will bear the cross. Let the punishment fall on me.”
What made Joseph able to endure – and endure so graciously – so many years of being mistreated and not take revenge on his brothers? The same three things that can make us able to endure it. Three things that are mentioned in Genesis 50 and Matthew 18, the First Reading and Gospel for September 13.
We all need to forgive – and we all need to be forgiven. We all need the sweet promise of Psalm 103: 12 (part of the Psalm for September 13). “As far as the east is from the west, so far he removes our transgressions from us.”
It is very true what has often been said that the person whom we refuse to forgive will always hold power over us. But there is also a very strange corollary which seems to be the way the ELCA thinks and operates. You will lose power if you forgive. You will lose power over the one whom you choose to forgive. And power is what it is all about.
The apostle Paul wrote, “The law kills, but the Spirit gives life” (2 Corinthians 3: 6). With the law, no matter how much you do, it is never enough. You always need to do better and more. The law is a relentless, cruel, never-satisfied task master.
The same thing is true of the ELCA’s constantly calling on us to repent of racism, sexism, male dominance, white supremacy, homophobia, transphobia, and Islamophobia. No matter how much we repent, it is never enough. We will always need to grovel and repent more. How long will the ELCA keep on calling on us to repent of the same things? And why are they doing this? I believe for two reasons. First, at the heart of all this is a massive self-righteousness. They are woke. They are not guilty of all the awful things that other people – especially old white people with traditional views – are guilty of. And second, I believe that they want to so demolish the courage, will, and self-confidence of old white people with traditional views that they will not resist as the woke totally take over.
As we learn more, we will keep you informed about how the stage is being set for an even more complete takeover at the 2028 ELCA Churchwide Assembly. Thank you for your prayers, words of encouragement, and faithful financial support, all of which enable us to do our work of being a Voice for Biblical Truth and a Network for Confessing Lutherans. Please find below links you can use to give a gift towards our regular operating expenses. Your prayers are especially important to us. Please let us know how we can be praying for you.
In the Name of Jesus, who removes our sins as far as the east is from the west,
Dennis D. Nelson
Executive Director of Lutheran CORE
P.O. Box 1741
Wausau WI 54402-1741
I have been reflecting recently on my own upbringing and, in doing so, have come to an uncomfortable realization.
My parents were faithful Christians. We attended church regularly. We prayed before meals. We prayed before bedtime. I attended Sunday school and was confirmed. My parents sincerely believed in Jesus Christ and made certain that I received a Christian education.
Yet we almost never talked about God.
Faith belonged in church. Religious education belonged to the pastor, Sunday school teachers, and confirmation instructors. At home, we lived as Christians, but we rarely discussed why we believed what we believed or what God’s Word meant for our daily lives.
Looking back, I do not blame my parents. They simply reflected the culture in which they had been raised. They likely assumed the pastor was better equipped to teach the faith. Whatever the reason, faith became something practiced primarily on Sunday rather than intentionally woven into everyday family life.
The surprising part is that I repeated the same pattern with my own children. Only much later did I realize that I had unintentionally passed along the model I had inherited.
Then something unexpected happened.
My wife began reading the Bible faithfully. I was genuinely pleased that she had taken such an interest in God’s Word, yet I found myself strangely uncomfortable. Looking back, I cannot fully explain why. I believed the Bible was God’s inspired and authoritative Word. I attended church faithfully. Yet seeing someone intentionally engage Scripture every day somehow exposed how little I had done the same.
Eventually, I decided to listen to the entire Bible in one year. That simple decision changed my life.
The more I immersed myself in God’s Word, the more I wanted to understand it. One year of listening became years of study. Today, to my own amazement, I am pursuing a Master’s degree in Orthodox Lutheran Theology. Had someone predicted that twenty years ago, I would have laughed.
Looking back, I now understand something that Martin Luther understood nearly five hundred years ago.
Following the Reformation, Luther was deeply troubled by the widespread ignorance of Scripture among ordinary Christians. During the Saxon Visitations, he discovered that many people, including those expected to teach others, knew very little of the Christian faith. His response was not merely to educate pastors.
He wrote the Small Catechism for fathers and mothers.
Again and again, before each chief part, Luther repeats the simple instruction:
“As the head of the family should teach them in a simple way to his household.”
That sentence may be one of the most overlooked in Lutheranism. Even more striking are Luther’s opening words in the Preface to the Small Catechism:
“The deplorable, miserable condition which I recently observed when visiting the parishes has constrained and compelled me to prepare this Catechism.”
Luther was not lamenting the failures of society. He was lamenting that Christians no longer knew the basics of their own faith.
His solution was revolutionary in its simplicity. Return God’s Word to the home. This was never Luther’s idea alone. It is deeply biblical.
Through Moses, God commanded His people:
“These words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.” (Deuteronomy 6:6-7)
Likewise, Psalm 78 declares that one generation is to tell the next “the glorious deeds of the Lord” so that “they should set their hope in God.”
The Apostle Paul instructs fathers:
“Bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” (Ephesians 6:4)
And Paul reminds Timothy that from childhood he had known the Holy Scriptures, “which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” (2 Timothy 3:15)
Notice what all of these passages have in common. The primary responsibility for passing on the faith belongs in the home.
Pastors assist in that calling.
Congregations support it.
Christian schools strengthen it.
But none of them replace it.
Perhaps one of the greatest barriers today is not unbelief but discomfort.
Many Christians sincerely believe, yet feel awkward discussing God with their spouses, children, or grandchildren. They fear they do not know enough. They worry someone might ask a question they cannot answer. They assume religion is best left to the professionals.
I understand that feeling because I lived it.
Even after confirmation, intentionally talking about religion made me feel strangely uncomfortable. It almost felt as though I were becoming someone I was not. Looking back, I realize it was not because I lacked faith.
It was because I lacked practice.
No one had ever modeled ordinary conversations about God’s Word around the dinner table or during daily life.
The remarkable discovery was that the discomfort gradually disappeared as I spent more time immersed in Scripture.
Confidence does not come from knowing every answer. Confidence comes from becoming familiar with God’s Word.
Parents do not need theology degrees.
They simply need to be willing to open the Bible, read it together, pray together, and occasionally say, “I don’t know the answer, but let’s discover it together.”
Children learn as much from watching that humility as they do from hearing perfect explanations.
Our culture understands the importance of daily formation.
Every day, our children are being catechized by social media, entertainment, schools, advertising, politics, and popular culture. They are constantly being taught what to value, whom to trust, and how to understand the world.
If the Church offers God’s Word only for one hour each week, we should not be surprised when other voices become louder.
The Christian home must once again become a place where Christ is spoken of naturally.
Not through long theological lectures.
Not through guilt.
But through ordinary conversations rooted in God’s Word.
Read a few verses after dinner.
Ask one simple question: “What does this passage teach us about God?”
Pray together before bedtime.
Talk about Sunday’s sermon during lunch.
Small habits, practiced faithfully over many years, shape generations.
Yet we must remember that the future of the Church does not ultimately rest upon our efforts. Christ Himself has promised, “I will build My Church” (Matthew 16:18). He preserves His Church through the Holy Spirit working through the Means of Grace—His Word and Sacraments.
In His mercy, God also calls parents and grandparents into this sacred vocation. He entrusts them with the privilege of placing His Word before the next generation, trusting that the Holy Spirit will accomplish His saving work through that Word.
Luther understood this.
Scripture teaches it.
Perhaps it is time we recover it.
If we desire our children and grandchildren not merely to know about Jesus, but to know Him as their crucified and risen Lord and Savior, then the Christian faith must become more than something we attend on Sunday morning.
It must become something we joyfully read, discuss, pray, and live together every day.
Not because our conversations create faith, but because God has promised that His Word shall not return to Him empty, but shall accomplish the purpose for which He sends it (Isaiah 55:11). As Christian parents and grandparents faithfully place that life-giving Word into the hearts of their families, we may confidently trust the Holy Spirit to do what only He can do: create faith, strengthen faith, and preserve Christ’s Church from one generation to the next. May God grant us the confidence not only to believe His Word, but to speak it naturally, faithfully, and joyfully within our homes, for the blessing of our children, our grandchildren, and generations yet to come.
In my last article for Lutheran CORE I reflected on the fact that the animating principle of the Lutheran Reformation was ad fontes—back to the sources of Christian faith. I also recounted how the formal principle of the Reformationcame to be sola Scriptura—that Scripture alone was to be the standard by which all Christian teaching and practice was to be measured.
The Lutheran take on sola Scriptura is radically different from that of Reformed (Calvinist) theology. Calvinism operates under what it calls “the regulative principle” of Scripture, which may be roughly summed up as “what is not commanded (in Scripture) is forbidden.” Using this hermeneutic (reading perspective), Scripture becomes the source of all Christian revelation.
Luther, on the other hand, seeking not to reinvent the Church but to re-form it, turned to the Scriptures with a completely different set of assumptions. Sure, the medieval Church had gotten off track and out of alignment with God’s revealed will, enshrined in the Scriptures, but the Scriptures could not logically be the source of Christian truth, for there were several decades’ worth of Christians before there was a New Testament. No, the source of Christian faith is the Apostolic proclamation “Christ is risen!” but the standard by which Christian faith and practice was to be measured were the canonical Scriptures, which were a “snapshot” of the Apostolic mind, inspired by God “so that nothing was written down that should not be.”[1]
Thus, in Lutheran usage, a Christian belief (like the word “Trinity”) or Christian practice (like making the sign of the cross) need not be found in the Scriptures to be authentically Christian; they need merely be measured by the standards presented in the Scriptures. An authentic Lutheran hermeneutic for reading Scripture is “what is not forbidden is permitted.”
At first blush this may seem to be a distinction without a difference, but its implications for Christian faith, life, and church practice are staggering, especially if we are seeking to ground our witness in the tradition of the Church catholic, as I argued that we should in my last article. The modest Lutheran approach maintains continuity with the Church across time while allowing for necessary course corrections when error seeps in or new missional needs are encountered as the Spirit leads the Church “into all truth.” (John 16:13) The Calvinist approach not only permits but nearly commands each generation to reinvent its faith and practices, searching the Scriptures to justify their choices.
The Calvinist approach is fundamentally anti-tradition. The Lutheran approach is cautiously optimistic about Christian tradition. This has serious consequences.
Here is an example from my own pastoral experience. At a recent meeting, a well-meaning layman, influenced by the incipient Calvinism of American Evangelicalism, presumed to teach theology at a Christian Education Committee meeting. I had proposed a blessing of the backpacks as a kickoff to the school year. This person declared, “Jesus didn’t bless things, He blessed people. We’re not blessing any backpacks.” Because I was not present at the meeting, his opinion carried the conversation.
He meant well. He was trying to be faithful, but his most influential theological formation had come at the hands of a quasi-charismatic parachurch ministry. His theology was so infused with the Calvinism nearly inescapable in American Evangelicalism that he put me in the position of needing to reeducate people in a Lutheran church on established Lutheran practice, found in our own worship resources, which were crafted by highly trained and experienced Biblical and liturgical theologians.
Of course, Jesus did bless—or consecrate—things if He was a faithful Jew conforming to first century Jewish practice… I confess, I wonder how the person in question missed Jesus’ blessing the bread and fish in Matthew 14 or the elements at Passover! Still, the point I am trying to make is that because he couldn’t immediately recall to mind a positive instance of Jesus’ doing something, it meant that Christians should not do that thing either—his approach to sola Scriptura was Calvinist, not Lutheran. Rather than asking, “Are Christians permitted to bless things?” (is that a valid development of Christian practice based on not merely Jesus’ actions, but Old Testament instruction) his instinct was to ask, “Are Christians commanded to bless things?”
The relevance of these two different approaches to Biblical interpretation is manifold for Christian life and faith, and I leave it to Lutheran CORE readers to work out its implications in your own mission context, but one thing I think is worth noting; it was my conviction for the last eight years I served in the ELCA that the theological distraction, dissipation, and dissidence that I saw overtaking the denomination had been built into it from the beginning by its own constitution, which stated that the canonical Scriptures were the “authority, source, and norm” for the church’s life and faith. In my estimation, the word “source” represented a Calvinist incursion into a Lutheran context, permitting the church to eventually do whatever it wanted theologically without regard for Christian tradition, for as Cyril of Alexandria wrote to John of Antioch in the wake of the Council of Chalcedon, “those who love to upset sound doctrine pervert … words to their way of thinking. … remember that the followers of every heresy extract from inspired Scripture the occasion of their error.”
[1] Here I am defining the inspiration of Scripture apophatically, in the same way the union of Christ’s human and Divine natures was defined at the Council of Chalcedon as being “without confusion, change, division, or separation.”
HUMAN SEXUALITY
One of our ministry goals as Lutheran CORE is to provide resources for those who want to learn more about and/or want to inform their congregations about what the ELCA is actually doing.
The task force that is reconsidering the 2009 ELCA social statement, “Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust,” has released a study guide that focuses on the whole issue of bound conscience. They are asking for responses by September 30. Here are links to two articles which I have written recently that can help you evaluate, respond to, and lead your congregation in understanding and responding to this study guide.
For our July 2026 newsletter I wrote an article which gave an overview of the reconsideration process and evaluated the study guide as developed by the task force. I described their work as “An Obvious Attempt at Damage Control.”
An Obvious Attempt at Damage Control: – Lutheran Coalition for Renewal (CORE)
For my August 2026 letter from the director, I wrote an article that zeroed in on the whole concept of bound conscience, which is the focus of the work of the task force between now and the 2028 ELCA Churchwide Assembly.
LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR – AUGUST 2026 – Lutheran Coalition for Renewal (CORE)
CHURCHWIDE ASSEMBLIES
In our May 2026 newsletter I gave a long list of articles that I have written regarding the ELCA covering the period of time between the 2022 and 2025 Churchwide Assemblies along with a summary of the major points from each of these articles.
What’s Next With The ELCA? – Lutheran Coalition for Renewal (CORE)
Here is a link for those looking for a shorter and more condensed version of the above.
And here is a link to a document that focuses on actions taken and decisions made by the 2019, 2022, and 2025 ELCA Churchwide Assemblies.
Finally, my June 2026 letter from the director contained a list of questions that you can use if and/or when your synodical bishop or another synodical representative visits your congregation.
LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR – JUNE 2026 – Lutheran Coalition for Renewal (CORE)
I hope and pray that these resources are helpful for you in understanding and in communicating to your congregation what the ELCA is doing and the direction in which it is going.
UNWRAPPING BOUND CONSCIENCE
by Dennis D. Nelson
Note: Many thanks to Larry Becker, NALC pastor in southern California and member of the board of Lutheran CORE, for gathering several of the references and resources that are used in this article.
Last month I wrote an article for the July issue of our newsletter about the study guide from the task force that is reconsidering the 2009 ELCA human sexuality social statement. HERE is a link to that article. The study guide focuses on the whole issue of bound conscience, which is the term the social statement uses to describe the fact that people in the ELCA hold different views on same sex relationships. This month I would like to further explore the whole concept of bound conscience – where it came from, whether it has been helpful, is it being followed, and what we might anticipate for the future.
Pages 19-21 of the original 2009 (the social statement was revised in 2025) version of “Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust” describe four different positions on same sex relationships that people within the ELCA hold “with conviction and integrity.” It then says, “Although at this time this church lacks consensus on this matter, it encourages all people to live out their faith . . . with profound respect for the conscience-bound belief of the neighbor.” It is this whole issue of bound conscience that the 2022 ELCA Churchwide Assembly voted overwhelmingly (708-93) to reconsider.
HERE is a link to a video from the 2009 Churchwide Assembly where Dr. Timothy Wengert explains the whole concept of bound conscience. Dr. Wengert is professor emeritus at United Lutheran Seminary (Philadelphia) and was a member of the task force on human sexuality. The whole motivation is clearly revealed in the comment made by the person who introduces him – to build a case that disagreement on human sexuality need not be church dividing.
When Lutherans think of bound conscience, they naturally first think of Martin Luther’s defense in 1521 at the Diet of Worms. “My conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe.” For Luther bound conscience was not about different people holding different views “with conviction and integrity” and we need to have profound respect for all. Bound conscience is not personal conviction, subjective sentiment, political pressure, nor group consensus. Rather it is submission to the authority of the Word of God.
But Dr. Wengert – in his introduction – spends the larger portion of his time talking about what he describes as a second way in which bound conscience came up during the Reformation. That second way had to do with specific, practical, ethical dilemmas such as whether to pressure lay people to receive both bread and wine at communion and rules regarding the practice of fasting. Dr. Wengert compares the Reformers’ approach to these issues to the way the apostle Paul deals with eating meat offered to idols when he writes to the Romans and the Corinthians.
Because of what Dr. Wengert places greater emphasis upon, he has reinterpreted bound conscience as giving permission for mutually exclusive moral positions. As I see it, according to his way of thinking, my conscience becomes bound by my opinion of what the Word of God says (or should say), not by the clear message of Scripture. As a worst-case scenario, the Word of God becomes bound to my opinions (and the values and beliefs of my culture) rather than my conscience is bound to the Word of God. No wonder Paull Spring (former retired ELCA bishop, later chairperson of the Lutheran CORE steering committee and bishop emeritus of the NALC), said, “In its emphasis on conscience, the task force forgot that Luther was not talking about his own right to his own opinion. He was declaring his commitment and allegiance to the Word of God. It is exactly the opposite of the task force’s idea of conscience as one’s personal beliefs. They are encouraging the strange notion of a bound conscience as nothing more than individualism.”
There are four points that I would like to make regarding Dr. Wengert’s definition of bound conscience.
First, it does not make sense.
If one person believes that a certain behavior is sinful and another person believes that it is holy, pleasing to, and blessed by God, they cannot both be correct. Also, if the Church were to lift up two opposing practices as equally valid, how could or would it have any moral authority to proclaim truth? Instead of having a prophetic voice, the Church would become a reflection of its culture.
Second, it has been rejected.
Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries (ELM) and its predecessor organizations trace themselves back to 1990 when two San Francisco congregations extended calls to openly gay and lesbian pastors, in violation of ELCA policy. In 1993, the Extraordinary Candidacy Project was created to provide a credentialing process for publicly identified LGBTQIA+ people. After the ELCA changed its ministry policies in 2009, those who had been ordained outside of the ELCA structure and process were welcomed to the ELCA list of rostered leaders. Some of these people, as well as many other members of ELM, are in positions of considerable power and influence in the ELCA.
In early September 2022 – shortly after the 2022 Churchwide Assembly which authorized the reconsideration of bound conscience – Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries put out a statement that said, “The ELCA must address our sins of racism and ‘bound conscience.’” HERE is a link to that statement, which then goes on to say, “Many queer-rostered ministry leaders experience . . . harm in the ELCA with little recourse because of ‘bound conscience’.” The 2019 Churchwide Assembly adopted a formal letter of repentance to commit to examine the church’s complicity in slavery and to acknowledge “the ELCA’s perpetuation of racism.” At the 2022 Churchwide Assembly Bishop Eaton formally apologized to the worshiping community of Iglesia Luterana Santa Maria Peregrina in central California for both individual and institutional racist harm done to the congregation and the Latine community. In the same way Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries believes that “queer people in the ELCA deserve an apology and behavior consistent with repentance for the harm caused by ‘bound conscience’ and policies like ‘Visions and Expectations.’” This statement then ends by saying, “It is time for ‘bound conscience’ to go.”
Here Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries basically is equating racism and bound conscience. Since for the ELCA racism is the worst of the worst, then the provision for bound conscience also must be the worst of the worst.
No “profound respect for the conscience bound belief of the neighbor” here. Knowing the high-powered positions of many who are a part of Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries, no one with traditional views should feel welcome, valued, respected, and/or safe.
Third, it is not the way the ELCA has been doing things.
As I have mentioned in previous articles –
It is interesting that the news release about the November 14-17, 2024 meeting of the Church Council did not give any specific information about the above. Instead it just stated –
In key actions, the council:
Approved amendments to “Constitutions, Bylaws, and Continuing Resolutions of the ELCA” that were drafted in response to the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility (DEIA) Audit.
Recommended to the 2025 Churchwide Assembly certain amendments to “Constitutions, Bylaws, and Continuing Resolutions of the ELCA” that were brought to the council by the Commission for a Renewed Lutheran Church (CRLC).
We did not learn anything specific until later – six months prior to the Churchwide Assembly – when the Church Council informed Synods of its recommendations.
No “profound respect for the conscience bound belief of the neighbor” here if that neighbor has traditional views. All those with traditional views need to realize that their position will continue to be eroded.
Fourth, what’s next?
I am going with the assumption that the language of “bound conscience” will be removed from the social statement. The vote at the 2022 Churchwide Assembly to reconsider bound conscience was so strong (708-93). Votes taken at the 2025 Churchwide Assembly on matters of human sexuality further eroded any standing that traditional views and those who hold them might still have. Many people have spoken very critically about bound conscience because of the way they see it as allowing for traditional views.
There certainly will not be in 2028 the “restraining influence” that there was in 2009 from those who hold traditional views. They are simply no longer there.
Some members of the task force have spoken very positively about the quality of communication and high level of trust among members of the task force – even among people who strongly disagree with each other. Are there other members of the task force who would not say that?
There definitely seems to be a desire to “get through this” with as little organizational damage to the ELCA as possible.
On the other hand, if bound conscience is eliminated and some other wording that gives a place of dignity and respect for traditional views and those who hold them is not provided in its place –
Why should or would anyone with traditional views ever trust the ELCA again?
Will synodical bishops be able to hinder a pastor with traditional views from being able to get another call and/or be able to hinder congregations with traditional views from being able to call another pastor?
Will seminarians with traditional views be blocked in their efforts to be certified for ordination and first call (so eventually there will be no traditional pastors left in the ELCA)?
If a pastor is sued for refusing to officiate at a same sex wedding and/or a congregation is sued for refusing to host a same sex wedding, will there be any backing and support from the synod and/or churchwide?
According to the schedule included in the study guide from the task force –
In 2027 a draft of revisions to the social statement will be released for public comment.
In 2028 the ELCA Churchwide Assembly will take action on any proposed revisions.
We will keep you posted as we learn or hear more.
* * * * * * *
VIDEO MINISTRIES
“PROPHECIES OF ISAIAH FOR MAMAS AND LITTLES”
Written by Hanna FitzGerald – Reviewed by James FitzGerald
Many thanks to Hanna and James FitzGerald for this video review of Hanna’s new book, “Prophecies of Isaiah for Mamas and Littles,” which will be published in August 2026 by the American Lutheran Publicity Bureau. Hanna is a former English teacher who is now a full-time mother while serving her church, St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Fulton, Maryland (ELCA), alongside her husband, the Reverend James FitzGerald. The FitzGeralds are the ones who provide the weekly, lectionary-based children’s messages on our website.
A link to the FitzGeralds’ video review can be found HERE. A link to our YouTube channel, which contains seventy reviews of books and videos on topics of interest and importance, can be found HERE.
Isaiah prophesied about the coming of Jesus: Emmanuel, God with Us. During the Advent and Christmas seasons, we remember the gift of Jesus as a baby born in a manger, and we wait for the return of Christ Jesus in glory with the Advent of a New Heaven and a New Earth. Selected scriptures from Isaiah and the Gospels reveal Jesus in the Old and New Testaments. Included in this devotional are stories of modern motherhood, prayers, and journal questions. With each adult devotional for mama, there is also a devotional for children to complete with mama. These shorter devotionals include prayer, scripture, and a family activity. Grow closer in faith as a family while preparing for Christmas with each turn of the page.
Pastor: Good morning boys and girls! Let’s say good morning to our friend Sammy and see if she is there. Ready? One, two, three…Good morning, Sammy!
Sammy: Good morning boys and girls! Pastor, I have a question for you.
Pastor: I am ready for your question, Sammy.
Sammy: What are taxes?
Pastor: Well, paying taxes means that adults give part of the money we earn to the government.
Sammy: You give money to the government?
Pastor: Yes. When adults go to work, they earn money, and part of the money they earn goes to the government. Most of us don’t even see the money that goes to the government. They take it from our paychecks.
Sammy: They steal your money?!
Pastor: No, it’s not stealing our money. We are required to give some of our money in taxes.
Sammy: But what does the government do with the money?
Pastor: Well, some of the money is used for building roads, improving schools, and helping people in need.
Sammy: We help people in need at church.
Pastor: Yes we do. One of the things we do as a church is we give money as an offering to the church and to God.
Sammy: Hang on. Adults give money to taxes and to the church? Do they have any money left?
Pastor: Yes they do. The church uses the money from gifts to serve and love God and the people in our community of faith. Boys and girls, what are some of the things we do as a church to help people?
[Allow time for responses]
Sammy: These are all great ministries and events in our church.
Pastor: Yes they are. We have to remember that even our time is a gift. When Jesus talks about giving to God what belongs to him, he doesn’t just mean our money. He wants us to give him our time. When we help with ministries at church, or we sing in the children’s choir, or we read our Bibles, we are giving God our time.
Sammy: I like that we can give God our time–I don’t have much money at all.
Pastor: That’s okay, Sammy. You know what? Let’s all give God our time right now. Boys and girls, will you please pray with me? Dear Jesus, thank you for our country. Thank you for our church. Help us to give our time and our gifts. Amen.
Sammy: Bye, everyone!
Pastor: Bye, Sammy!
“At that very moment she came up and began giving thanks to God, and continued to speak of Him to all those who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem” (Luke 2:38).
We look around and wonder what this all means. Many times the answer is right before us. Will we receive the answer God gives or look somewhere else for the answer we want? The redemption of the world was laid upon Christ. He who took away the sin of the world stands before each one of us. He invites us to have an intimate and personal relationship with Him.
Lord God, Creator of all things, You have set before us the opportunity to be in relationship with You. You have given us the words of eternal life. You are the Word made flesh. You have set before us the way of life. Help all who are truly seeking to understand the utter simplicity of the message You have given us. Like Anna, help us to thank You for the circumstances in which we find ourselves.
Lord Jesus, Your given name tells us all that we need to know. You are the Savior. You are God in the flesh who has come to redeem us. As You walk with me, open my heart more and more to understand that I have always been walking with You beside me. Lead me into life as You intend for it to be lived that I might abide in You each moment of every day that You give me. Amen.
November 22: Christ the King Sunday
ALL: Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24 (God himself will be King and Shepherd to his people)
ALL: Psalm 95:1-7a (The Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods)
ALL: Ephesians 1:15-23 (Glorious inheritance given those who believe in Christ,
whom the Father has exalted high above all rulers and authorities)
ALL: Matthew 25:31-46 (Parable of the Last Judgment and the sheep/goat divide)
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NOTE: The prayers echo phrases from “Beautiful Savior.” I strongly suggest you include that as one of your hymns today!
Opening Hymn: O God Beyond All Praising: WOV #797, ELW #880
OR Lord, Enthroned in Heavenly Splendor: LBW #172, LSB #534, ELW #475
Hymn of the Day: Lord of Glory, You Have Bought Us: LBW #424, ELW #707, LSB #851
OR O Christ, What Can It Mean for Us (familiar tune) (ELW #431)
OR Jesus Shall Reign: LBW #530, ELW #434, LSB #832
Communion 1: O Jesus, King Most Wonderful: LBW #537, LSB #554
OR Rejoice, The Lord/ For Christ is King: LBW #171, ELW #430
Communion 2: Beautiful Savior: LBW #518, ELW #838, LSB #537
Closing Hymn: Crown Him with Many Crowns: LBW #170, ELW #855, LSB #525
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Let us approach the Throne of Grace, there to pray for the Church, the world, and one another.
A brief silence is kept.
Holy Father, thank you for your Son, Christ Jesus, our Beautiful Savior, the King of Creation. Thank you for his holy life, his innocent suffering and death in our place, and his glorious resurrection that grants us life, forgiveness, health, and salvation. Though we are your unworthy servants, you have made us sisters and brothers of Jesus, and heirs of your Kingdom. Blessing and honor, praise and adoration be yours, Holy Father, for the sake of your Son, in the power of your Spirit.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
You have made your Son King of creation and head of your Church. Bind the Church to Christ with cords of love. Make it unswerving in faith and bold in witness to him. Use it to draw all people to his Cross, there to acclaim him as Lord, King, and Savior.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
You have made your persecuted Church a visible sign of Jesus’ own passion and death. Grant that all who are afflicted for his sake may also, like the sun, moon, and stars, shine with the beauty of his holiness and the glory of his love.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
You have made your Son our Savior and Lord. Fill the people of this congregation with your Holy Spirit, so that in all we say and do, we proclaim Jesus Christ as Son of God and Son of man.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
You have made this land rich with resources, and resplendent with the virtues of freedom, justice, and opportunity. Grant that all who live here may be responsible stewards of those resources; tireless examples of those virtues; and thankful sharers of every blessing with which you have graced us.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
You have made your Son Lord of the nations. By your Holy Spirit, conform the hearts of rulers and people to the heart of Christ. Let his peace reign undisturbed in every land.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
You have made your Son our light, joy, and crown. Grant that his strong saving love might accompany those who serve our country, here and abroad. Fill them with honor, courage, and wisdom; and bring them home in safety.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
You have made your Son fairer than sunlight, stars, meadows, or woodlands. Let his beauty, healing, and compassion cause all sorrowing hearts to sing, including: {List}. Deliver them from their afflictions, and restore them to the fellowship of all who care for them.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Gracious Father, you have made your Son to shine more brightly than all of heaven’s angels. We thank you for the lives of the faithful departed, who already see his glory face to face. Fill us with such faith and love that, in your good time, we shall join them in singing, “Glory and honor, praise, adoration, now and forever more be thine.”
.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Hear our prayer; and graciously grant all that glorifies you and benefits our poor broken world, for the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
November 15: 25th Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 28, Lectionary 33)
ALL: Zephaniah 1:7-16 (The Day of the Lord: darkness and judgment for the complacent)
ALL: Psalm 90:1-12 (O God, our help in ages past! Teach us to number our days
and apply our hearts to wisdom)
ALL: 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 (Be sober, watchful – the Lord will come like a thief in the night;
therefore act as children of the day)
ALL: Matthew 25:14-30 (The parable of the servants given talents)
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Opening Hymn: O Worship the King, All-Glorious Above: LBW #548, ELW #842, LSB #804
OR Christ is Surely Coming: LSB #509
Hymn of the Day: The Night Will Soon Be Ending (great words and tune!): LSB #337
OR (if preaching on Epistle): Rise, My Soul, to Watch and Pray: LBW #443, LSB #663
OR Take My Life, That I / and Let it Be: LBW #406, ELW #583(interesting Hispanic melody), 685; LSB #783/784 (another interesting tune!)
Communion 1: O God, Our Help in Ages Past: LBW #320, ELW #733 LSB #733
Communion 2: I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light: WOV #649, ELW #815 LSB #411
Closing Hymn: Through the Night of Doubt and Sorrow: LBW #355, ELW #327
OR One Thing’s Needful; Lord, This Treasure: LSB #536, v. 1, 3-5
OR Lo! He Comes with Clouds Descending: LBW #27, ELW #435, LSB #336
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Let us approach the Throne of Grace, there to pray for the Church, the world, and one another.
A brief silence is kept.
Father, thank you for entrusting to us the treasures of your Kingdom and the gifts of your Holy Spirit.
Thank you for your confidence in us – for commending wise risk taking and condemning fearful inaction. Give us grace to be faithful stewards of your bounty, to your glory and for the good of your people.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Give your Church pastors, bishops, and theologians who faithfully proclaim your Word of Law and Gospel. Make the Church shine with the holiness and humility of Jesus, guiding many to seek his promised forgiveness and salvation.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Let the faithful witness of your suffering Church be a beacon of hope for all who love Christ, and into an urgent warning to all who hate him. We can scarcely comprehend the suffering of our persecuted sisters and brothers. Give us the willingness to defend and provide for them as we can, and to adorn their sacrifices with our smaller acts of faith and love.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Make this congregation into a “Discipleship Boot Camp!” Teach us to practice taking risks in your service. Make us bold in granting forgiveness – or asking for it. Make us brave in talking about the hope that is in us. Make us fearless in shining the light of Jesus’ love into sin-darkened lives. Make us ingenious in easing the burdens of others for whom he gave his life.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We pray for all who have been richly blessed with skills of mind and hand, and gifts of imagination and wise judgment. Guide them in using their gifts to your glory and for the benefit of others. We also pray for those whose talents seem meager, who are afraid to use them, or are convinced they are worthless. Give them the grace to value what you have given them, and to use their resources to their utmost. Help all of us to risk much as we seek to please you, help our neighbor, and heal our world. Remind us that you have prepared for us joys that are infinitely greater than any treasure we lay at your feet.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Give teachable minds and willing hearts to the leaders of the nations. Remind them that they must give you an account of their stewardship of power, authority, and talents. Do not let them squander these gifts through hard hearts, rivalries, misuse, or disuse. Give all of us the gifts of humility and generosity, so that many lives may be touched by happiness and brightened by hope.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Great gifts are needed by those who risk their lives to protect the lives and liberty of others. Abundantly grant them all they need, dear Lord. Use their skills to bring calm in chaos, and justice in troubled places. Shield their loved ones from fear; and bring them home safely and soon.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We beseech you to come speedily to the rescue of all who cry out for healing of body, mind, heart or spirit – including: {List}. Deliver them from their afflictions, and restore them to the fellowship of all who care for them.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Keep in your sheltering arms all those who have died trusting in your promises. And as you have called us to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown, we pray: Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go, but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us, until you bring us home, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Hear our prayer; and graciously grant all that glorifies you and benefits our poor broken world, for the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
November 8: 24th Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 27, Lectionary 32)
ALL: Amos 5:18-24 (Woe to those who desire the Day of the Lord! He despises your feasts
and sacrifices; let justice, righteousness roll down like streams of water)
ALL: Psalm 70 (Let those who seek you find deliverance)
ALL: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 (Do not grieve as those without hope; Christ comes with trumpet)
ALL: Matthew 25:1-13Matt (Parable of the wise and foolish virgins)
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Opening Hymn: Rejoice, Rejoice, Believers: LBW #25, ELW #244, LSB #515
Hymn of the Day: Wake, Awake, For Night is Flying: LBW #31, ELW #436 (funky translation warning!), LSB #516
Communion 1: Let Justice Roll Like Streams: WOV #763, ELW #717
OR Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise: LBW #526, ELW #834, LSB #802
Communion 2: My Lord, What a Morning: WOV #627, ELW #438, LSB #968
Closing Hymn: My Hope is Built on Nothing Less: LBW #293/4, ELW #596/597, LSB #575/6
OR Let Streams of Living Justice (great tune!): ELW #710
OR The Bridegroom Soon Will Call Us: LSB #514
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Let us approach the Throne of Grace, there to pray for the Church, the world, and one another.
A brief silence is kept.
Heavenly Father, we are sometimes foolish, not wise; scatterbrained, not prudent; reactive, not responsive. Forgive us! Remind us of the privilege of being invited to your Son’s wedding feast! Fill us with your Holy Spirit’s wisdom. Let us always rejoice; believe; and show the light of faith, hope, and love in this dark world.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Make your Church wise, faithful, pure, and watchful, rejoicing in the near approach of her Bridegroom and Savior. Make her worship joyful and pleasing in your sight. Make her labors glorify you and help those in distress. Make her feasts a foretaste of your heavenly wedding banquet, feeding all with truth, righteousness, and salvation.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Give patience, kindness, comfort, and hope to your persecuted Church. Help us provide for their needs and bear witness to their suffering. Turn the hearts of their enemies to seek your forgiveness.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Make everyone in this congregation into lamps shining with your light and love. Keep us constantly worshipping you and serving others. Fill us with your Holy Spirit, and help us share your grace and favor with those whose lights are flickering out.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Let your justice roll down like waters upon this parched and broken world. Let your righteousness fill the hearts and minds of all who are entrusted with authority. Especially we pray for our elected and appointed leaders. Give them your Spirit of wisdom and understanding, counsel and might, so that they may bring peace, prosperity, justice, and healing to our land.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
On this Veteran’s Day weekend, we pray for all who have honorably served their country. Grant wisdom, courage, integrity, and sound judgment to everyone currently serving in the military, and to all who risk their lives on behalf of community and country. Use their skills to bring freedom, safety, and justice wherever they serve. Keep them safe; shield their loved ones from grief and fear; and grant them a swift and joyful homecoming.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Let all who seek your help in their times of trial find deliverance from all that troubles them. We remember before you: {List}. Grant them health and salvation; justice and comfort; hope and guidance. When their lamp of faith seems ready to flicker and fade, rekindle them with the grace and comfort of the Holy Spirit. And give a double portion of that same Spirit to all who minister to their needs.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, we grieve for our dead, but not without hope. Thank you for receiving them into your merciful care. Renew our confidence in your goodness in this time of our earthly pilgrimage. Help us to encourage and help one another along the way. Lead us, by the Cross of Jesus, into the Kingdom which you have prepared for all who have been redeemed by his suffering, death, and resurrection.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Hear our prayer; and graciously grant all that glorifies you and benefits our poor broken world, for the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
November 1: All Saints’ Sunday
ALL: Revelation 7:9-17 (Behold a host, arrayed in white! Blessing and honor and glory and power be unto God and the Lamb!)
ALL: Psalm 34:1-10, 22 (O taste and see how gracious the Lord is; look upon him and be radiant;
the Lord ransoms the lives of his servants)
ALL: 1 John 3:1-3 (We are God’s children now; we shall be like Jesus, see him as he is)
ALL: Matthew 5:1-12 (The Beatitudes)
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Opening Hymn: For All the Saints: LBW #174, ELW #422 (note: it’s edited to be less martial), LSB #677
OR Blessing, Honor, Glory to the Lamb: ELW #433
Hymn of Praise: Blessing and Honor and Glory and Power: LBW #525, ELW #854
OR Alabare: WOV #791, LSB #799/800
OR Cantad Al Senor: WOV #795, ELW #822
Hymn of the Day: Behold the/a Host, Arrayed in White: ELW #425, LSB #676
Who Is this Host, Arrayed in White: LBW #314
OR Blest are They: WOV #764, ELW #728
Communion 1: Love Divine, All Loves Excelling: LBW #315, ELW #631, LSB #700
Communion 2: Thee We Adore, O Hidden Savior, Thee: LBW #199, LSB #640
Thee We Adore, O Savior, God Most True: ELW #476
Closing Hymn: Rejoice, O Pilgrim Throng: LBW #553, LSB #813
Rejoice, Ye Pure in Heart: ELW #873/4
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Let us approach the Throne of Grace, there to pray for the Church, the world, and one another.
A brief silence is kept.
Thank you, dear Father, for all your saints. Thank you for the ones who shaped our faith and molded our lives. Thank you for Spirit-filled heroes, martyrs, scholars, and pastors who have kept your Church “one, holy, catholic, and apostolic.” Thank you for the nameless and forgotten faithful, known only to you, whose humble lives perfume the airs of heaven. Thank you for joining us to Jesus, and so to all your saints: past, present, and future.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Grant that the Church may always proclaim your living and holy Word to the world. Use it to forgive and transform many sinners into your saints, your Church, and your beloved children.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Bless, as you have promised, those who are persecuted for Jesus’ sake. Crown their faithful endurance with his triumphant victory over sin and death; and adorn them with the robes of his righteousness.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Touch with goodness the hearts of everyone in this congregation. Make our words and deeds gracious and truthful . Let the light of Jesus shine in in all we say and do, so that through us, our neighbors encounter their Savior’s love.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
With reverence and affection, we remember before you those who have shaped our faith and influenced our lives in godly ways. We entrust to your tender care our beloved dead who are now at rest in you. {Here the names of the faithful departed may be read, with tolling of the bell}. Thank you for their witness, love, and encouragement. Grant that we may likewise help others – especially the young and those who do not know you – to seek your face and rejoice in your goodness.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Keep our nation safe, strong, and honorable. Grant that our elections are honest and accurate. Give wisdom and prudence to all who seek or who hold public office in our land. Give each of us the desire and the ability to love justice, do mercy, and walk humbly with you and with each other.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Ransom the lives of your servants who are bound by cords of suffering, including: {List}. Let them look upon you and be radiant. Let them taste and see your gracious favor. Let them be healed and purified in body, mind, heart, and faith, to praise your saving deeds and rejoice in your great goodness.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Most holy and gracious Father, receive into your Kingdom our beloved dead. Keep us faithful, true, holy, and steadfast, as we walk the narrow Way established by Jesus. Give us a foretaste of heaven’s joy in our Spirit-led fellowship with one another and with Christ. Bring us safely your Kingdom which you prepare for all whom you redeem by his death and resurrection. There let us abide in your dear presence, and love and serve you forever.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Hear our prayer; and graciously grant all that glorifies you and benefits our poor broken world, for the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
“And there was a prophetess, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years and had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple, serving night and day with fastings and prayers” (Luke 2:36-37).
There are those whom the Lord calls who are dedicated to His service. Anna was one of these people. Living a devoted life of prayer and service, they are often seen as fixtures in the church, but seldom thought of. We each have a call upon our lives. We each have a desire to serve. The question is, whom will we serve? Anna served the Lord. Whom do you serve? Not that everyone must do as Anna did, but this is a good question for each of us to ask ourselves.
Lord, I say that I serve You, but I most often serve myself. You have given many examples of those who have willingly and lovingly served You. Help me to learn and understand from their example what it means to serve. Help me to understand what devotion means and learn how to be devoted to what is good, right and salutary. Guide me out of the life of one who lives for self, and into a right way of living.
Lord Jesus, You came to serve. You have served each one of us by granting us grace through the shedding of Your own blood. Help me now and always to see that in this world of selfishness, no one really gets anywhere; but in You, we have the opportunity to learn how to live life as it is meant to be lived. Guide me in the upward call You have given me to humbly walk the upward path of salvation You have placed before me. Amen.
“And His father and mother were amazed at the things which were being said about Him. And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary His mother, “Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for a sign to be opposed – and a sword will pierce even your own soul – to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed” (Luke 2:33-35).
This is a different kind of prophecy that reflects wisdom born of age. This is a shift from the nation to the person. The Lord raised up Israel to show what kind of God He is. He has come to redeem individuals so that we can live in the truth of who He is. Our hearts are revealed, and the One who created us loves us, redeems us, and has come and bears the brunt of our burdens.
Lord, there are so many things going on around me and I do not know where to stop, listen and learn. You have offered me wisdom. You grant me strength. Help me to hear when people of wisdom speak. Help me to hear when You speak through others. You know my heart and You are slowly revealing it to me. Lead me in the way of life which is right, fitting and abiding in Your will.
Lord Jesus, the people then did not know who You were. People now still do not know who You are. Help me to see You, come to know You, and walk in the provision You place before me. Guide me to become wise as Simeon, loving You and those whose paths cross mine. Be the One who is leading me in living this life You have given me. Help me to see the new heart You are creating in me. Amen.
“For my eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a Light of revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel” (Luke 2:30-32).
Mine eyes have seen Your salvation. Have you seen Jesus? Jesus is your salvation! The body of Christ, the church, His bride, is a continuation of the Incarnation. One comes into a living relationship with the living Lord. Have You seen Jesus? Wherever two or more are gathered in His name, there He is. The Lord has prepared this in the sight of all people. Those who are given sight, see.
Lord, You have shown us Your salvation. It is not an idea or precept, but You in person. Coming to You is coming to salvation. Sinfully, we want some other thing to follow, but You are asking us to follow You. Lead me away from what I want to come into Your peace which surpasses all understanding. Guide me in the way of everlasting life so that I may humbly follow You.
Salvation shown, Jesus my Savior, You came and fulfilled the promises given to the prophets of old. In these last days, teach me what it means to listen to You. Guide me in the way of life which You have come to establish. You know all that I need in order to follow You, and You have provided all that is needful. Lead me, dear Savior, in being a part of what You are creating. Help me to live faithfully among all people. Amen.
“And he came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to carry out for Him the custom of the Law, then he took Him into his arms, and blessed God, and said, “Now Lord, You are releasing Your bond-servant to depart in peace, According to Your word” (Luke 2:27-29)
The Lord has fulfilled His promise with the coming of Messiah. The faithful of every time, moved by the Holy Spirit, know. It is true for all of us. With the coming of Jesus, we are brought into the peace which surpasses all understanding. All things which remain shall equally be to the Word of the Lord. The Lord is faithful and brings us to the place of peace.
Lord, amidst a world filled with hostility, You have come bringing peace. Help me to understand all that You have fulfilled according to Your word as well as the things to come which shall be done in Your perfect timing. Teach me trust You above all of the things of this world, for You are the Maker of all things. I am Your bond-servant and You have given me peace through Your salvation.
Lord Jesus, God’s salvation, You are the peace we long for. Reconciled to You and what You have accomplished, You are bringing all things into submission to lay at the Father’s feet. I live in the in-between time. Help me to learn how to be faithful, giving praise and thanksgiving without looking to my circumstances, but instead trust in the truth that Your word has been and will be fulfilled. Amen.