God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.

1. Peter 5,5b

Introit

I will extol you, my God, O King. I will praise your name continually.
Every day I will praise you. I will praise your name continually.

The Lord supports all who fall, and lifts up all who are bent over.

The Lord is just in all his actions, and exhibits love in all he does.
The Lord is near all who cry out to him, all who cry out to him sincerely.
He satisfies the desire of his loyal followers; he hears their cry for help and delivers them. The Lord protects all those who love him, but he destroys all the wicked.
My mouth will praise the Lord. Let all who live praise his holy name forever.

Psalm 145

Collect of this Sunday

Almighty and everlasting God, always more ready to hear than we to pray and to give more than we either desire or deserve, pour down upon us the abundance of Your mercy, forgiving those things of which our conscience is afraid and giving us those good things that we are not worthy to ask, except through the merits and mediation of Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Altar Book: Lutheran Service Book, Pg. 920f

Old Testament lesson

So the Lord sent Nathan to David. When he came to David, Nathan said, “There were two men in a certain city, one rich and the other poor. The rich man had a great many flocks and herds. But the poor man had nothing except for a little lamb he had acquired. He raised it, and it grew up alongside him and his children. It used to eat his food, drink from his cup, and sleep in his arms. It was just like a daughter to him.

“When a traveler arrived at the rich man’s home, he did not want to use one of his own sheep or cattle to feed the traveler who had come to visit him. Instead, he took the poor man’s lamb and cooked it for the man who had come to visit him.”

Then David became very angry at this man. He said to Nathan, “As surely as the Lord lives, the man who did this deserves to die! Because he committed this cold-hearted crime, he must pay for the lamb four times over!” 

Nathan said to David, “You are that man! This is what the Lord God of Israel has said: ‘I chose you to be king over Israel and I rescued you from the hand of Saul. I gave you your master’s house, and put your master’s wives into your arms. I also gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if all that somehow seems insignificant, I would have given you so much more as well! Why have you shown contempt for the Lord’s decrees by doing evil in my sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and you have taken his wife to be your own wife! You have killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. So now the sword will never depart from your house. For you have despised me by taking the wife of Uriah the Hittite as your own!’ This is what the Lord has said: ‘I am about to bring disaster on you from inside your own household! Right before your eyes I will take your wives and hand them over to your companion. He will go to bed with your wives in broad daylight! Although you have acted in secret, I will do this thing before all Israel, and in broad daylight.’” 

Then David exclaimed to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord!” Nathan replied to David, “Yes, and the Lord has forgiven your sin. You are not going to die. Nonetheless, because you have treated the Lord with such contempt in this matter, the son who has been born to you will certainly die.”

Then Nathan went to his home.

2. Samuel 12,1-10.13-15a

Gradual

In God my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exalts, and with my song I give thanks to him. To you, O Lord, I call; my rock, be not deaf to me, hear the voice of my pleas for mercy, when I cry to you for help.

Psalm 28,7b; 1a,2a

Epistle

But God, being rich in mercy, because of his great love with which he loved us, even though we were dead in offenses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you are saved!— and he raised us up together with him and seated us together with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, to demonstrate in the coming ages the surpassing wealth of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God; it is not from works, so that no one can boast. For we are his creative work, having been created in Christ Jesus for good works that God prepared beforehand so we can do them.

Ephesians 2,4-10

Halleluja Verse

Alleluia. Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations. Alleluia.

Psalm 90,1

Hymn of the week

From depths of woe I cry to Thee, in trial and tribulation;
Bend down Thy gracious ear to me, Lord, hear my supplication.
If Thou rememb’rest ev’ry sin, who then could heaven ever win
Or stand before Thy presence?

Thy love and grace alone avail to blot out my transgression;
The best and holiest deeds must fail to break sin’s dread oppression.
Before Thee none can boasting stand, but all must fear Thy strict demand
And live alone by mercy.

Therefore my hope is in the Lord and not in mine own merit;
It rests upon His faithful Word to them of contrite spirit
That He is merciful and just; this is my comfort and my trust.
His help I wait with patience.

And though it tarry through the night and till the morning waken,
My heart shall never doubt His might nor count itself forsaken.
O Israel, trust in God your Lord. Born of the Spirit and the Word,
Now wait for His appearing.

Though great our sins, yet greater still is God’s abundant favor;
His hand of mercy never will abandon us, nor waver.
Our shepherd good and true is He, who will at last His Israel free
From all their sin and sorrow.

Martin Luther (1483-1546) translated by Catherine Winkworth 1827-1878

Holy Gospel

Jesus also told this parable to some who were confident that they were righteous and looked down on everyone else. “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.The Pharisee stood and prayed about himself like this: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people: extortionists, unrighteous people, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of everything I get.’ The tax collector, however, stood far off and would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, be merciful to me, sinner that I am!’ I tell you that this man went down to his home justified rather than the Pharisee. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Luke 18,9-14

Christian Creed

I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth and of all things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of His Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made; who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate. He suffered and was buried. And the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures and ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of the Father. And He will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead, whose kingdom will have no end.

And I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of Life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified, who spoke by the prophets. 

And I believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church, I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins, and I look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.

Nicene Creed

Sermon for this week

We are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners, yet we know that no one is justified by the works of the law but by the faithfulness of Jesus Christ. And we have come to believe in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by the faithfulness of Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified. But if while seeking to be justified in Christ we ourselves have also been found to be sinners, is Christ then one who encourages sin? Absolutely not! But if I build up again those things I once destroyed, I demonstrate that I am one who breaks God’s law. For through the law I died to the law so that I may live to God. I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So the life I now live in the body, I live because of the faithfulness of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside God’s grace, because if righteousness could come through the law, then Christ died for nothing!

Galatians 2,16-21

Luther´s Sermon for this week.

My sermon for this week:

Prayer of the week: 11th Sunday after Trinity

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

Be merciful to us, heavenly Father, for daily we are tempted by Satan, and daily we sin and transgress Your will. For the sake of Christ Jesus and His bitter suffering and death upon the cross, forgive us. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Father, You alone are our dwelling place and have given us order, peace and fellowship with our brothers and sisters in the faith. Bless and guide our Synod, its presidents Matthew & Kathy Harrison, Peter Lang, Scott and Mary-Ann Murray, John Wohlrabe, Christopher Esget, Benjamin Bell and Nabil, but also Michael & Janet Kumm, the International Lutheran Council (ILC): Archbishop Joseph Ochola Omolo (Kenya); President Antonio del Rio Reyes (Philippines); Chairman George Samiec (United Kingdom); Bishop John Donkoh (Ghana); Past President Robert Bugbee (Canada); Bishop Juhana Pohjola (Finland); President Timothy Teuscher (Canada);  General Secretary Detlev Schulz & Cornelia; President Alceu Alton Figur (Paraguay); and President Matthew Harrison (USA), Alison Blogett, the International Lutheran Society of Wittenberg (ILSW): Matthew, Scott, Hans-Jörg, Ulrich, Roger, Jon Bruss, Tom Eggert, Larry & Amy Rast and our Lutheran church and mission, that we may honor and follow You above all else. Keep us faithful to the end, even as You have preserved and strengthened us to this day. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Be merciful to all in need, especially children who lack food, clothing and shelter, and all orphans in need of parents to care for them. Heavenly Father, provide earthly fathers, mothers, friends and neighbors to care for them. Give us generosity to serve as agents of Your mercy. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Eternal Lord, Ruler of all, graciously regard those who have been set in positions of authority among us Rainer Haseloff, Olaf, Vladimir Zelensky, Cyrill, Joe and Thorsten. Guide them by Your Spirit to be high in purpose, wise in counsel, firm in good resolution and unwavering in duty, that under them we may be governed quietly and peaceably. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Heavenly Father, give patience and endurance to all who are sick or in any need, especially Heinrich, Micheline, Christoph, Mario, Vazlav & Paulina, Thomas & Anette, June, Karin, Ingrid, Poenickers – husband & wife; heal them according to Your will. Receive our thanksgiving for every blessing and kindness You have shown to Your people Walter & Ruth, Hans & Renate, Anne & Bernhard, Manfred & Lisa, Gerhard & Carmela, Peter & Simone, Christoph & Sigrid; Magdalene & Kurt; Friederike, Olly & Isabel, Ela, Max & Louis; Detlev & Biljana and all Konatars, Matzi & Timo; Give comfort and hope to all who mourn. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Heavenly Father, bless us as we prepare to receive Your gifts in the Sacrament of Christ’s body and blood. Forgive our sins, strengthen our faith and confirm us in the knowledge that You have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

O Lord, heavenly Father, we gratefully remember the sufferings and death of Your dear Son, Jesus Christ, for our salvation. Rejoicing in His victorious resurrection from the dead, we draw strength from His ascension before You, where He ever stands for us as our own High Priest. Gather us together from the ends of the earth to celebrate with all the faithful the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which has no end. Graciously receive our prayers, deliver and preserve us, for to You alone we give all glory, honor and worship, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (One-year-series)

+ Dominum vobiscum +

The Lord bless You, and keep You; The Lord make His face shine upon You, and be gracious unto You; The Lord lift up His countenance upon You + give You peace.

Numbers 6,24-27

If you are called to preach this weekend, may the holy, triune God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – the one true and only God give You His rich measure of faith, hope, love, joy and strength, wisdom, knowledge and insight, clarity of speech, that You preach His holy Will faithfully and His gracious Promises invitingly and faithfully according to His biblical Word recorded by apostles and prophets. His most precious Gospel grants saving grace. It is His “power to save.” (Rom 1:16 cf. 2.Corinthians 12,9). 

God´s Word and Luther´s teaching remain forever just as His, holy Christian Church. Hallelujah + Amen. Amen.