Plans are being made to hold a shrimp boil fundraiser on Saturday January 27. Stop by between 11 am and 2 pm. Meals are $15 per plate.
For the service Sunday 14th, we will be following the liturgy of Divine Service 3 beginning on page 184 in the LSB hymnal. Hymns chosen for the day are #936 Sing Praise to the God of Israel; #402 The Only Son From Heaven; #635 O Gracious Lord, O Firmly Am Believing; and #701 Draw Us to Thee.
Scripture lessons for the day, the Second Sunday after the Epiphany, are Psalm 139:1-17; 1 Samuel 3:1-10; 1 Corinthians 6:12-20; and John 1:43-51.
Psalm 139 reminds us that God has had His eye on you from the moment of your conception. In a world where people argue about when life begins, the psalmist King David makes it quite clear that God knew us even before our bodies had taken form. God has continued to watch over us each day of our lives. Nothing can hide us from His gaze. He knows our every thought. To us who sin this might cause a moment of dread. But God’s gaze is also a gracious gaze, defending us from temptation and evil. He sets protective boundaries around you. His Spirit is always with you.
Samuel was a prophet of God. He was a son of a man named Elkanah and his wife Hannah. For many years Hannah was unable to conceive a child. But after many years of prayer, the temple priest Eli told her she would bear a son. Hannah had made a vow that if she bore a son, she would dedicate him to serving God. When Samuel was born, Hannah kept her vow. Samuel, soon after he was weaned, became an assistant of the priest, Eli. God watched over the boy as he matured. Eventually Samuel was given the responsibility of anointing a shepherd boy named David who would become king of Israel. In the Old Testament reading from 1 Samuel 3, Samuel was a young man, and God called out to him several times in the night. Samuel thought perhaps it was Eli calling to him. But Eli finally figures out what is going on, and instructs Samuel to respond to God’s call by saying, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant hears. God speaks to us now through the words of the Bible, including the words of His Son Jesus. It would still be good practice to ask the Holy Spirit to help us to hear God speak each time we open the Bible or hear a faithful preacher.
The epistle lesson is a portion of St. Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, 6:12-20. In these verses Paul urges the Corinthians and all Christians to avoid sexual immorality. This includes the sixth commandment to avoid adultery, which is sex outside of marriage. Jesus forgives all of our sins. But this no excuse to sin. Paul quotes an old proverb, ‘All things are lawful for me’ but adds, not all things are helpful. While Jesus has redeemed our bodies, it is not so we can satisfy our lusts. Rather, we ought to commit our bodies to His service. After all, your body is a temple of God; the Spirit has taken up residence in you. Many people claim ‘it’s my body’ but that is not true. It belongs to God. Jesus has redeemed it, giving His life for it. Do not profane your body which God has declared holy.
In the gospel lesson, John 1:43-51, Jesus invites a man named Philip to become His disciple, ‘Follow Me.” Philip promptly invited a friend, Nathaniel, to do the same. Nathaniel, from the seaside town of Bethsaida was blunt ins saying he was skeptical of Jesus because He had been raised in the small town of Nazareth. Philip persists, urging Nathaniel to ‘come and see’ for himself. Nathaniel’s haughty attitude is changed when he learns that Jesus had been watching him, even before Philip had invited him. This ‘pre-view’ was enough to cause Nathaniel to recognize Jesus as the fulfillment of Scripture, the Son of God and King of Israel. There are several interesting points in this passage. I’ll mention two. By extension, this account is evidence that Jesus also sees you. He also saw you before you knew Him. Secondly, there is a witness and mission theme here, as disciples eagerly tells their friends to come and see Jesus, to learn of the redemption and new lie He has brought to all of us that we would be reconciled to God. Who do you know that needs to hear about Jesus?
Collect: Almighty God, Who governs all things in heaven and on earth, mercifully hear the prayers of Your people and grant us your peace through all our days; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen
Please let me know if you have any prayer requests or questions about the Scripture lessons. The Lord be with you. Pastor Boster
