The Lord is my light and my salvation.
I fear no one.
The Lord protects my life.
I am afraid of no one.When evil men attack me to devour my flesh,
when my adversaries and enemies attack me, they stumble and fall.
Even when an army is deployed against me, I do not fear.
Even when war is imminent, I remain confident.I have asked the Lord for one thing— this is what I desire!
I want to live in the Lord’s house all the days of my life,
so I can gaze at the splendor of the Lord and contemplate in his temple.He will surely give me shelter in the day of danger;
he will hide me in his home.
He will place me on an inaccessible rocky summit.
Now I will triumph over my enemies who surround me.
I will offer sacrifices in his dwelling place and shout for joy.
I will sing praises to the Lord.Hear me, O Lord, when I cry out.
Have mercy on me and answer me.
My heart tells me to pray to you,
and I do pray to you, O Lord.
Do not reject me.
Do not push your servant away in anger.
You are my deliverer.
Do not forsake or abandon me,
O God who vindicates me.
Even if my father and mother abandoned me,
the Lord would take me in.Teach me how you want me to live, Lord;
Psalm 27 by King David
lead me along a level path because of those who wait to ambush me.
Do not turn me over to my enemies, for false witnesses who want to destroy me testify against me.
Where would I be if I did not believe I would experience the Lord’s favor in the land of the living?
Rely on the Lord!
Be strong and confident!
Rely on the Lord!
Tomorrow is the 6th Sunday after Easter, which is called “Exaudi” from verse 7 in Psalm 27: Hear me,O Lord, when I cry out. Have mercy on me and answer me. (Exaudi, Domine, vocem meam, qua clamavi ad te…). This Sunday is like an Advent Sunday for Pentecost. All and everything is focused on the promise of our good Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to send His advocate to us, so that He would lead and guide us in all truth, revealing all that IX himself had taught his disciples. In perfect unison with the Father and the Son, the Comforter does not teach on and of His own, but rather takes from the Son and the Father, giving in surplus whatever serves the edification of the flourishing faithful and promotes God´s holy Christian Church, drawing all and everyone towards Himself from the very ends of the earth. That´s His good and gracious will for us and our salvation +
This promise came first to the people in exile (Jeremiah 31,31-34). It has uplifted and maintained the faithful in dire straits – far off from home – in the diaspora, on their migrations, flights and sheer endless meanderings – looking forward to experience the Lord’s favor in the land of the living. Oh, how they longed to live in the Lord’s house all the days of their life, so they could gaze at the splendor of the Lord and contemplate in his temple…
Finally our good Lord himself confirmed these high hopes and desperate yearnings of His people – on the night in which he was betrayed (John 16,5-15) and then again, when He sent them back to Jerusalem to await the fulfilment of His blessed testament with them. On Pentecost this was fulfilled, so that we stand praying with the holy Apostle (Eph.3,14-21) between the holiday of our Lord´s Ascension and the pentecostal Feast -already singing His praises even while still waiting, but already celebrating Church even as we are still in transit:
Christ rose to heaven, What did he send us hither? The Holy Ghost as Comforter To keep us faithful, safe and sound. Kyrieleis!
Hallelujah, Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
So, let us all rejoice and sing, Christ comforts us most graciously. Kyrieleis!
Here´s my sermon and the hymns & lessons for the divine service in German:
- Outline
- Eingang 101 Heilger Geist, Du Tröster mein …
- Introitus 042 (Ps.27) Jeremia 31,31-34 (Predigt); Eph3,14-21; Joh16,5-15
- Vor der Predigt 90 Christ fuhr gen Himmel…
- Nach der Predigt 107 Schmückt das Fest mit Maien …
- Ausgang 102 Freut euch, ihr Christen alle…