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Readings and Propers for 4th Sunday after Pentecost (Series A)
Fourth Sunday After Pentecost
Proper 8A (June 26–July 2)
Jeremiah 28:5–9; Ps. 119:153-160; Romans 7:1–13; Matthew 10:34–42
Entrance: 511 Herald, Sound the Note of Judgment
Of the Day: 685 Let Us Ever Walk with Jesus
Offertory: 623 Lord Jesus Christ, We Humbly Pray
Distribution: 659 Lord of Our Life;
851 Lord of Glory, You Have Bought us
Closing: 661 The Son of God Goes Forth to War
The Lord Jesus Brings Division on Earth for the Sake of Peace with God in Heaven
False prophets preach what their hearers want to hear, promising peace even when the Lord has spoken “war, famine, and pestilence” (Jer. 28:8). But if “the Lord has truly sent the prophet,” he speaks what the Lord has spoken, and “the word of that prophet comes to pass” (Jer. 28:9). The preaching of God’s Law is hard, because it confronts sin, brings it to light and makes it worse, “sinful beyond measure,” thereby “producing death” in the sinner (Rom. 7:13). But through our Baptism into Christ, “we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive” (Rom. 7:6). Now we belong “to Him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God” (Rom. 7:4). Belonging to Him puts us at odds with the world and divides us from all earthly ties, not only from our human family, but each person from his own life. For Christ does not come “to bring peace, but a sword” (Matt. 10:34). Yet, whoever takes up his cross to follow Christ, and “loses his life” for Christ’s sake, finds new life in Him (Matt. 10:38–39).
Dr Martin Luther:
But it would be a truly Christian work, if you received sinners, if you entered into your closet and there said, in earnest prayer to the Lord: “Oh, my God! of such a person I hear so and so, he lieth in his sins, he hath fallen. Oh, Lord, help him to rise again,” etc. This is just the way in which to receive and serve the sinner. (Church Postils, Trinity 3)
Courtesy: LCMS (CPH for certain hymn videos)
Worldview Everlasting – Through the Fire and the Flames WE Carries On (Matthew 10:34-42)
Worldview Everlasting Greek Tuesday takes on Matthew 10:34-42, AND gives birth. Seriously.
Worldview Everlasting – The Way God Prefers to Kill You (Romans 7:1-13)
It's time for another Summer Greek episode! And in this one we find out that the Law kills. Always. Each use of it. Even the Third Use!! Gasp! But, that is exactly what God intended so that His Gospel can raise you. Sit down for a bit and watch this lightning fast treatment of Romans 7:1-13. You won't be disappointed.
Looking Forward to Sunday Morning (3 Year Lectionary): Fourth Sunday of Pentecost — Dr. Carl Fickenscher — Issues Etc.
Dr. Carl Fickenscher, Concordia Theological Seminary, Ft. Wayne, Ind., discusses the readings and propers with Pr. Todd Wilken on Issues Etc. (mp3, 56:56, 52.1 MB, 2017-Jun-26)
Matthew 10:34–42 (SBLGNT)
34 Μὴ νομίσητε ὅτι ἦλθον βαλεῖν εἰρήνην ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν· οὐκ ἦλθον βαλεῖν εἰρήνην ἀλλὰ μάχαιραν.
35 ἦλθον γὰρ διχάσαι ἄνθρωπον κατὰ τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ καὶ θυγατέρα κατὰ τῆς μητρὸς αὐτῆς καὶ νύμφην κατὰ τῆς πενθερᾶς αὐτῆς,
36 καὶ ἐχθροὶ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου οἱ οἰκιακοὶ αὐτοῦ.
37 ὁ φιλῶν πατέρα ἢ μητέρα ὑπὲρ ἐμὲ οὐκ ἔστιν μου ἄξιος· καὶ ὁ φιλῶν υἱὸν ἢ θυγατέρα ὑπὲρ ἐμὲ οὐκ ἔστιν μου ἄξιος·
38 καὶ ὃς οὐ λαμβάνει τὸν σταυρὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀκολουθεῖ ὀπίσω μου, οὐκ ἔστιν μου ἄξιος.
39 ὁ εὑρὼν τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ἀπολέσει αὐτήν, καὶ ὁ ἀπολέσας τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ἕνεκεν ἐμοῦ εὑρήσει αὐτήν.
40 Ὁ δεχόμενος ὑμᾶς ἐμὲ δέχεται, καὶ ὁ ἐμὲ δεχόμενος δέχεται τὸν ἀποστείλαντά με.
41 ὁ δεχόμενος προφήτην εἰς ὄνομα προφήτου μισθὸν προφήτου λήμψεται, καὶ ὁ δεχόμενος δίκαιον εἰς ὄνομα δικαίου μισθὸν δικαίου λήμψεται.
42 καὶ ὃς ⸀ἂν ποτίσῃ ἕνα τῶν μικρῶν τούτων ποτήριον ψυχροῦ μόνον εἰς ὄνομα μαθητοῦ, ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, οὐ μὴ ἀπολέσῃ τὸν μισθὸν αὐτοῦ.
Literal Translation
(34) Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.
(35) I came to divide a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a bride against her mother-in-law.
(36) "Ones hostile to the man shall be those of his own house."
(37) The one loving father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And the one loving son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.
(38) And who does not take up his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.
(39) The one finding his life shall lose it. And the one losing his life on account of Me shall find it.
(40) The one receiving you receives Me, and the one receiving Me receives Him who sent Me.
(41) The one receiving a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and the one receiving a just one in the name of a just one will receive a just one's reward.
(42) And whoever gives only a cup of cold water to drink to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple, truly I say to you, In no way will he lose his reward.
Scripture quotations marked SBLGNT are from the SBL Greek New Testament. Copyright © 2010 Society of Biblical Literature and Logos Bible Software. Holmes, M. W. (2011–2013). The Greek New Testament: SBL Edition. Lexham Press; Society of Biblical Literature.
Back to Basics Preaching - Pres. Matthew Harrison (LCMS) - Issues Etc *UPDATED*
Pastor Matthew Harrison, President of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, discusses the Basics of Preaching with Pastor Todd Wilken (mp3, 30:30, 12.4 MB, 2014-Jul-29)
*UPDATE* Pastor Wilken refers to Pres. Harrison's article in the Lutheran Witness: "Back to Basics in Preaching"
Hurrying Through the Divine Service
“Pastors who hurry through everything or anything ... sends a message—a non-verbal message—that this is not that important, that we better get through this because time’s a-wasting here.”
Jeff Schwarz: “Bill writes: Why is it that most congregations and pastors race through the Lord’s Prayer? I thank God for giving me a teacher who would make us repeat the prayer until we spoke it slow enough before dismissing us for the day.”
Pr. Todd Wilken: “Oh, golly, you’ve touched upon one of my personal pet peeves which is pastors who hurry through everything or anything. We have field workers at our congregation—because we’re local to one of the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod seminaries—they send guys over to get Sunday morning experience, as much as they can, given their place as seminarians. And one of the first things I tell all of our field workers, even though I’m not officially in charge of them—I get to watch—I’ll tell them:
‘You’ll notice something here at Trinity: We aren’t in a hurry. There’s no reason to be in a hurry on Sunday morning. The clock is not our god; it’s not our taskmaster. The clock on the back wall is not there to tell us when the service is supposed to be over. Your wristwatch is not there to tell you when the service is supposed to be over. This is like everything else that is important in the world, and this is the most important thing in the world. It’s going to take as long as it takes.
‘That doesn’t mean that we slow it down to the point where it’s tedious. We’ve all sat through an organist who plays the hymn too slow. You just know when too slow is too slow. That doesn’t mean that we slow it [way] down. But it does mean that we take ... our ... time.
‘You take your time doing things that are important to you. You go out for your 25th wedding anniversary. Do you gobble down the meal in ten minutes, pay the bill and rush out? No! You take your time.
‘You take your time doing things that are important and Sunday morning is the most important thing you will do every week. It’s the most important thing that God does for you every single week. So, take your time doing it. There’s no hurry.’
“And that’s why it’s one of my pet peeves: pastors who hurry through, say, the Lord’s Prayer or, worse yet, hurry through the Words of Institution in the Lord’s Supper. They don’t hurry through their sermons. But, boy, do they hurry through the words of Christ in the Lord’s Prayer and the Words of Institution of the Lord’s Supper.
“And it sends a message—a non-verbal message—that this is not that important, that we better get through this because time’s a-wasting here.
“So, my personal corrective to that is to slow down at those things. And to let those things be slower than they ordinarily are to emphasize their importance.
“So we say things that are important, when you speak to your children or you speak to someone else, and you want them to completely understand what you’re saying, you may even slow down to say it. These are important words. So we slow down. We don’t hurry.
“Why pastors do this? It’s a bad habit. I don’t think there’s any pastor worth his salt out there that thinks that the Lord’s Prayer isn’t important. If they do, they should be sent back to the oven of the seminary for further baking—they’re half-baked. Those words are not unimportant. But it’s a bad habit.
“And, every pastor can fall into it—things can become routine. And, you might just go up to your pastor and say, ‘Hey, pastor, during the Lord’s Prayer, slow down. You’re going too fast for me. Slow down.’ And he’ll get it—he’ll understand exactly what you’re saying. He’s not a dummy.”
— Listener Email and the Issues, Etc., Comment Line, 2016-July-27, 41:54–45:48, http://issuesetc.org/podcast/21030727161.mp3
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4801 E. 6th St Christ Lutheran Church is a member of the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod. |
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9:30 am Divine Service with Lord's Supper (The Lord's Supper is celebrated every Lord's Day and Festival Service) 10:45 am Sunday School and Bible Classes Advent and Lenten services: Wednesday, 7:00 pm Note: Services on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day are held at 9:30 am. Recorded sermons can be heard here. |
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The Voters Assembly at its regular meeting of January 9, 2011, adopted its 2011 budget. As part of its Missions budget is a line item for Issues, Etc. (via Lutheran Public Radio) and has become a member of the Issues, Etc. 300.
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