Thus says the Lord: “I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” (Gen 28:15 NIV)
Jesus Christ says to his disciples: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses … to the ends of the earth.”
(Act 1:8 NIV)
We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives. (Col 1:9 NIV)
Whatever the apostle has requested for his own congregations and the churches, he founded, he now also asks for the Colossians. In general most congregations face the same challenges and endure very similar problems. That is why the apostle St. Paul pleads for their increase of knowledge and for a holy way of life amongst them. Every advancement in life depends on progress in knowledge. Yet this general petition of the apostle takes on a special turn. He prays that God would fill them: “with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives” (Col 1:9 NIV) Mostly people go according to their own will. Some want to follow the will of God, but are afraid when they don’t recognize the minute detail of his will. The apostle prays that the Colossians will be enlightened in their hearts by divine wisdom and spiritual understanding so that they will not only recognize the goal towards which they are to move, but also the way how to get there. He emphasizes the crucial importance of the Holy Spirit to do this education and nurturing. He carries out this schooling, which perfects our hearts and minds in the most beautiful way – even if it contradicts the ways and wills of our sinful self. It goes without saying that this schooling is ongoing and will not be over for us until we die.
Eternal, merciful God and Father! We praise you and give you thanks for your saving light that you have revealed to us in your holy Word showing us your Son Jesus Christ as our Lord and saviour. You have revealed to us your holy will so that we walk according to your commandments and by your grace learn to die peacefully. Sanctify us by your Holy Spirit, so that we would receive your Word faithfully and find our joy therein, serving you in holiness and righteousness as is pleasing to you. We ask this in Jesus Christ’s name. Amen. (Church order of Brandenburg 1553)
Speak, O Lord, your servant listens, Let your Word to me come near; Newborn life and spirit give me, Let each promise still my fear. Death’s dread power, its inward strife, Wars against your Word of life; Fill me, Lord, with love’s strong fervor That I cling to your forever!
Oh, what blessing to be near you And to listen to Your voice; Let me ever love and hear You, Let Your Word be now my choice! Many hardened sinners, Lord, Flee in terror at Your Word, but to me, who know my burden, Show me now our Word of pardon!
Lord, Your words are waters living, When my thirsting spirit pleads; Lord, Your words are bread life giving, On Your words my spirit feeds. Lord, Your words will be my light Through death’s vale, its dreary night; Yes, they are my sword prevailing, And my cup of joy unfailing!
Precious Jesus, I entreat You, Let Your words in me take root; Let this gift of heaven enrich me So that I bring generous fruit: Never take them from my heart Till I see You as You are, When in heavenly bliss and glory I will meet You and adore You! (Anna Sophia von Hessen-Darmstadt, 1638-1683 tr George A.T. Rygh, 1860-1942)
This is a rather free translation of Wilhelm Löhe’s devotion for Monday after the twenty-fourth Sunday after the high holiday and festival of the Holy Trinity. It is found on Pg. 384 in Lob sei Dir ewig, o Jesu! (Eternal Praise to you o Jesus!) edited by A. Schuster and published in the Freimund Verlag, Neuendettelsau 1949.
Record my misery; list my tears on your scroll– are they not in your record? Psa 56:8 NIV)
Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. (Luk 6:21 NIV)
This morning the sermon to preach according to the lectionary was on Lk.18:1-8: The judge and the widow. Jesus told this parable: “to show them that they should always pray and not give up.” (verse 1) That was preached at Pella LC (near Wartburg, KZN) after the congregation had finished singing the lovely hymn, which was one of late superintendent Christoph Johannes favourites: “Moya oyiNgcwele! woza phezu kethu…” (Incwadi yokuhlabelela 332:1-3). We had sung it at yesterday’s diocesan synod too – just before the elections. It says: “Holy Spirit come to us…“. Thankfully it’s not just a rousing melody, but has the divine promise that the Father will hear us if we ask him for the Holy Spirit in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. In this confidence we sing, pray and wait for coming again in glory. Although it was not a full house the singing was quite strong – but listen here and convince yourself:
For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. (Col 1:9 NIV)
Several times we have read about how the apostle St. Paul prayed and thanked for one of his congregations. This happened for those congregations he founded and that therefore were in a filial relation to him their father in the faith. They were as precious to him as children are to their father. In this sort of relationship supplications and thanksgiving are the order of the day and come quite naturally really. In Colossae we find a congregation that was not founded by St. Paul. That is why this verse is so much more noteworthy and the prayerful conduct of the apostle admirable and exemplary. His heart is full of love and devotion. Oh, would ours just be a fraction of the same. St. Paul is praying for people, he doesn’t know. They are not his children, they are not his family and not his friends or even just acquaintances. Yet he knows about them through the news brought from them to him by Epaphras. That is why he loves them. That is why he gives thanks for them as if they were his very own offspring. What a life filled with prayer, supplication, petitions and thanksgiving the apostle had! He is so grateful that the Colossians have been found, saved and justified by the Lord of the Church himself. May God have mercy on us poor people, who are so negligent and full of shortcomings with regards to our prayer life. We hardly pray for ourselves and our families, never mind the Church and its worldwide mission. And what about thanksgiving? What about prayer for our congregation and Church – and those congregations far off, on the mission field amongst foreign nations and strange people?
Eternal, merciful God! We praise you and give you thanks for your saving light that you have revealed to us in your holy Word. You have enlightened your Church throughout the world. We ask you, grant that this light will let your knowledge, truth and wisdom grow amongst us that we will love, trust and fear you more and more. Enliven and invigorate our hearts with fervent faith and hope in you, but also with good works of mercy and caring towards our neighbour. Grant us sure confidence and patience as we wait for your glorious return and by your grace receive our eternal abode with you. Amen.
Father, we thank Thee Who has planted Thy holy name within our hearts. Knowledge and faith and life immortal Jesus Thy Son to us imparts. Thou, Lord, didst make all for Thy pleasure, Didst give man food for all his days, Giving in Christ the bread eternal; Thine is the pow’r, be Thine the praise.
Watch o’er Thy Church, O Lord, in mercy, Save it from evil, guard it still, Perfect it in love, unite it, Cleansed and conformed unto Thy will. As grain, once scattered on the hillsides, Was in this broken bread made one, So from all lands Thy church be gathered Into Thy kingdom by Thy Son. (Didache 2nd Century tr F. Bland Tucker, 1895-1984)
This is a rather free translation of Wilhelm Löhe’s devotion for twenty-fourth Sunday after the high holiday and festival of the Holy Trinity. It is found on Pg. 383 in Lob sei Dir ewig, o Jesu! (Eternal Praise to you o Jesus!) edited by A. Schuster and published in the Freimund Verlag, Neuendettelsau 1949.
“Honor your father and your mother.” 
(Exo 20:12 NIV)
Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father…older women as mothers. (1Ti 5:1-2 NIV)
Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. (Phi 3:21 KJV)St. Paul and his followers are not focussed on the body. Rather the nurturing of their body with food and dress are but a side issue. The main thing in their mind and life was the confession of Christ’s salvation attained on the cross and hence the striving to the eternal home in the heavenly abode of the Father. Compared to the daily life of idolatry of those serving their stomach, these slaves of daily worries and worldly care, the pursuers of a pampered life there can hardly be a more stark contrast than with the life of those, who are blissfully poor, do not need the passing worldly fancy and don’t seek it either. Rather they willingly bear shortcomings as they are eternally well taken care of. Serving our stomach does not only culminate in its final decay, but rather precedes the eternal damnation of our physical being that is far worse than this first death. Yet those, who strove first for the kingdom of God and for its righteousness there will come a physical reality that by far outshines our present existence in glory and bliss as it will be “fashioned like unto his glorious body”. Great God, who can grasp this? It is way beyond our comprehension, yet the apostle strengthens our faith and hope with his assurance of Christ’s omnipotence and willingness to do this “according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself”.
O Father of mercy and God of all comfort, you font of life and salvation! When are we to go from this vale of tears and at last see your glorious kingdom? When are we to appear before your heavenly throne and see your glorious countenance? Let us soon see this wonderful day of eternal bliss, when we will rejoice with all the saints in your life and salvation. Come Lord Jesus, come and do not hesitate or pause. Deliver us from captivity and lead us to everlasting joy and gladness. You have promised: “I will come to you and take you with me, so that you be where I am.” Lord, come soon and fulfil this your wonderful promise, so that all those saved can be with their saviour, the children reunited with the Father and those sanctified be with the most Holy. You have given us the Holy Spirit, the comforter as guarantee of our eternal inheritance. Therefore grant us this inheritance itself in heaven and let us attain, what we have here believed for your names sake. Amen. (B. Stölzin)
This is a rather free translation of Wilhelm Löhe’s devotion for Saturday after the twenty third Sunday after the high holiday of the Holy Trinity. It is found on Pg. 382 in Lob sei Dir ewig, o Jesu! (Eternal Praise to you o Jesus!) edited by A. Schuster and published in the Freimund Verlag, Neuendettelsau 1949.
The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down. (Psa 146:8 NIV)
The Emmaus disciples asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” (Luk 24:32 NIV)
The Lutheran Order of Service for the 3rd last Sunday (using the propers for the 25th Sunday after the high Holiday of the holy Trinity) in the Church year is available here in isiZulu and seTswana. Today it comes with a sermon based on God’s word from the gospel of St. Luke in the eighteenth chapter the verses 1-8 written by my father Rev. E.A.W.Weber DD (Welbedacht, KZN) in both isiZulu (wz1354131110 n Tr 25) and seTswana (wt1354131110 n Tr 25).
The readings for this Sunday are:
Old Testament: Job 14:1-6
The Epistle: Romans 14:7-9
The Gospel: Luke 17:20-24 (25-30)
The liturgical colour is green.
May you have a very blessed weekend and have time to meditate on the watchword for this week: I tell you, now is the time of God’s favour, now is the day of salvation. (2Co 6:2 NIV) – and if you are called to preach this weekend, may the triune God give you joy and strength, enthusiasm and wisdom, knowledge and insight – and the true words and pictures to preach his holy will purely and his promises faithfully! However if you are not preaching, but listening – then listen as if God is talking to you + His precious gospel is “the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes.” (Rom 1:16 NIV)
We thank the Lutheran Heritage Foundation for supporting the distribution of hard-copies of these orders of worship and sermons throughout Southern Africa. If you also want a copy please do not hesitate to subscribe by writing to EAWWeber@bundunet.co.za.
But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ. (Phi 3:20 NIV)
St. Paul had described the enemies of Christ’s cross as having their mind set on earthly things. Here now he describes the Christians who have their citizenship in heaven. Their thoughts, being, home and destiny are in heaven. The apostle clings to the cross of Christ as the sole source of salvation even though he might loose all else including his status, property and office amongst his fellow-men, his countrymen, the Jews. He has a citizenship in God’s eternal metropolis, the heavenly Jerusalem. This is where he belongs and that’s where he is on the way to. To this heavenly dwelling every Christian is striving to get – even as he is still under the cross here. He is void of all own righteousness and still nurtures the hope of eternal possessions as one, who is gifted with the foreign righteousness of Christ and has inherited all that belongs to the Prince of Peace. He is mortified to the things of this time and world, but vitalized by the Spiritual and eternal. Thus he is exemplary in spiritual poverty and yet in spiritual wealth; in having nothing and still having all, in humility while being proud. My dear brothers, I am convinced, that the example of the apostle is conducive for discipleship and faithful following – even if only few would follow suit indeed. Looking at our daily experience, we find the horrible attraction godless examples exert, whereas far too few follow the beacons of holiness and sanctity. Still the followers of the apostles anticipate confidently the glorious return of their Lord Jesus Christ. That is what they hope for in this life – even when dying – and this hope does not put to shame.
Faithful Lord Jesus Christ! You have promised us our home in heaven. Grant that even here we are quite at home in your presence and live accordingly. Hold us by your mighty hand as you lead us homeward bound to the dwellings of our Father, where we’ll rejoice in joy and blessed being in your sight forever. Amen. (Hermann Bezzel)
Christ is surely coming Bringing His reward, Alpha and Omega, First and Last and Lord: Root and stem of David, Brilliant Morning Star: Meet your Judge and Saviour, Nations near and far!
See the holy city! There they enter in, All by Christ made holy, Washed from ev’ry sin: Thirsty ones, desiring All he loves to give, Come for living water, Freely drink, and live!
Grace be with God’s people! Praise His holy name! Father, Son, and Spirit, Evermore the same; Hear the certain promise From the eternal home: “Surely I come quickly! Come, Lord Jesus, come!” (Christopher M. Idle b 1938)
This is a rather free translation of Wilhelm Löhe’s devotion for Friday after the twenty third Sunday after the high holiday of the Holy Trinity. It is found on Pg. 381 in Lob sei Dir ewig, o Jesu! (Eternal Praise to you o Jesus!) edited by A. Schuster and published in the Freimund Verlag, Neuendettelsau 1949.
Wilhelm's space 