31st anniversary of my ordination and installation in Wittenberg, E.Transvaal on this Sunday in 1992.

So then you are no longer foreigners and noncitizens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of God’s household

Ephesians 2,9

LORD of all power and might, who art the author and giver of all good things: Graft in our hearts the love of Thy name, increase in us true religion, nourish us with all goodness, and of Thy great mercy keep us in the same; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Collect for this Sunday

Hymns and readings
Invocation 601 All who believe and are baptized
Introit etc Psalm 107,1-9; Ex16,2-3.11-18; Ac2,41-47; Jo6,1-15;
Sermon: Acts 2,41-47 (This was the text on my ordination Sunday too)
Main : 625 Lord Jesus Christ, live-giving bread…
Close: 722 Lord, take my hand and lead me…

Introit

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, and his loyal love endures.
Let those delivered by the Lord speak out, those whom he delivered from the power of the enemy, and gathered from foreign lands, from east and west, from north and south.
They wandered through the wilderness, in a wasteland; they found no road to a city in which to live. They were hungry and thirsty; they fainted from exhaustion.
They cried out to the Lord in their distress; he delivered them from their troubles.
He led them on a level road, that they might find a city in which to live.
Let them give thanks to the Lord for his loyal love, and for the amazing things he has done for people. For he has satisfied those who thirst, and those who hunger he has filled with food.

Psalm 107,1-9 (This Psalm was my sermon text during the homiletic´s seminar with Manfred Seitz in Erlangen. I preached about 50 minutes)

God´s Word from the Old Testament

The entire company of Israelites murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat, when we ate bread to the full, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger!” (Then the Lord said to Moses, “I am going to rain bread from heaven for you, and the people will go out and gather the amount for each day, so that I may test them. Will they walk in my law or not? On the sixth day they will prepare what they bring in, and it will be twice as much as they gather every other day.” Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, “In the evening you will know that the Lord has brought you out of the land of Egypt, and in the morning you will seethe glory of the Lord, because he has heard your murmurings against the Lord. As for us, what are we, that you should murmur against us? Moses said, “You will know this when the Lord gives you meat to eat in the evening and bread in the morning to satisfy you, because the Lord has heard your murmurings that you are murmuring against him. As for us, what are we? Your murmurings are not against us, but against the Lord.”Then Moses said to Aaron, “Tell the whole community of the Israelites, ‘Come before the Lord, because he has heard your murmurings.’”As Aaron spoke to the whole community of the Israelites and they looked toward the wilderness, there the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud,) and the Lord spoke to Moses,“I have heard the murmurings of the Israelites. Tell them, ‘During the evening you will eat meat, and in the morning you will be satisfied with bread, so that you may know that I am the Lord your God.’”In the evening the quail came up and covered the camp, and in the morning a layer of dew was all around the camp. When the layer of dew had evaporated, there on the surface of the wilderness was a thin flaky substance, thin like frost on the earth. When the Israelites saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” because they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, “It is the bread that the Lord has given you for food.“This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Each person is to gather from it what he can eat, an omer per person according to the number of your people; each one will pick it up for whoever lives in his tent.’” The Israelites did so, and they gathered—some more, some less.When they measured with an omer, the one who gathered much had nothing left over, and the one who gathered little lacked nothing; each one had gathered what he could eat.

Exodus 16,2-3.11-18

The epistle and sermon text for this Sunday

So those who accepted his message were baptized, and that day about 3,000 people were added. They were devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Reverential awe came over everyone, and many wonders and miraculous signs came about by the apostles. All who believed were together and held everything in common, and they began selling their property and possessions and distributing the proceeds to everyone, as anyone had need. Every day they continued to gather together by common consent in the temple courts, breaking bread from house to house, sharing their food with glad and humble hearts, praising God and having the good will of all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number every day those who were being saved.

Acts 2,41-47

The Holy Gospel of our good and gracious God Father, Son and Holy Ghost

After this Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee (also called the Sea of Tiberias). A large crowd was following him because they were observing the miraculous signs he was performing on the sick. So Jesus went on up the mountainside and sat down there with his disciples. (Now the Jewish Feast of the Passover was near.)

Then Jesus, when he looked up and saw that a large crowd was coming to him, said to Philip, “Where can we buy bread so that these people may eat?”(Now Jesus said this to test him, for he knew what he was going to do.) Philip replied, “200 silver coins worth of bread would not be enough for them, for each one to get a little.”

One of Jesus’ disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, “Here is a boy who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what good are these for so many people?”Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” (Now there was a lot of grass in that place.) So the men sat down, about 5,000 in number. 

Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed the bread to those who were seated. He then did the same with the fish, as much as they wanted. When they were all satisfied, Jesus said to his disciples, “Gather up the broken pieces that are left over, so that nothing is wasted.” So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with broken pieces from the five barley loaves left over by the people who had eaten.

Now when the people saw the miraculous sign that Jesus performed, they began to say to one another, “This is certainly the Prophet who is to come into the world.” Then Jesus, because he knew they were going to come and seize him by force to make him king, withdrew again up the mountain side alone.

John 6,1-15

Prayer of the Church—Responsive Form (Seventh Sunday after Trinity: 23rd July 2023)

Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.

Lord God, our King over all the earth, reigning over the nations, sitting on Your holy throne, graciously receive our prayers and praises. Subdue the devil, the world and our sinful flesh under the feet of Your people, that we may share in the victory Christ has won for us. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Lord of the earth, our Savior multiplied bread and fish and fed over 4,000 people in Gentile territory, thereby showing Your kingdom is open to all nations. Bless and protect the work of our missionaries in this country and around the world, that all people would receive the bread of everlasting life given in the Word and Sacraments. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Heavenly Father, pour out the blessing of Your Holy Spirit on the delegates who will assemble in convention this week. Give wisdom to those who propose, deliberate and decide for the work and welfare of our Synod and church. Guard all who speak and all who listen. Give us courage to do with integrity what we promise. Bless our plans and actions, and grant success. Only let our manner of life be worthy of the Gospel of Christ. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Creator and Preserver of all things, You govern and sustain the earth for our good and provide for all our needs of body and soul. Bless the labor of those who produce food and shelter, safety and peace. Lead us to recognize Your gracious hand in all things and to receive our daily bread with thanksgiving. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Lord and Giver of life, You formed us from the dust of the earth and breathed into us Your own breath of life. All people are made in Your image and have dignity and worth in Your sight. Defend Your gift of earthly life at every age, from natural conception to natural death. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Hear us, Father, for those in every need [especially June, Christoph, Friederike, Michael, Natalia, Bob & Pauline, Lutz, Karin, Ingrid, Friederike & Oliver, Vazlav & Micheline, Matt, Hans-Jörg, Thomas, Annette, Makito and for all those, for whom we plead before You in silence]. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

God of grace, as Your Son miraculously fed thousands in the wilderness, feed Your people gathered here today with the true bread from heaven, the body and blood of Christ, our Savior, that even in the wilderness of this world we may share in the eternal life of paradise. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Heavenly Father, in Holy Baptism You claimed us as Your own holy people in Your Son. Strengthen and preserve us in this holiness, that we might not give ourselves over again to the slavery of sin and lawlessness leading to death, but instead to the slavery of righteousness that leads to eternal life; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

+ Dominum vobiscum +

The Lord bless Thee, and keep Thee;

The Lord make his face shine upon Thee, and be gracious unto Thee;

The Lord lift up his countenance upon Thee + give Thee peace.

Numbers 6,24-26 (4th Book of Moses)