REJOICING TOGETHER

We gathered with our brothers & sisters from the four LCMS congregations in Norfolk this morning for outdoor worship at Skyview Lake. The threat of rain looked pretty ominous even a half hour before the 10:00a start, but the skies cleared & it turned into a beautiful morning. I heard an estimate of 600 people in attendance. [Lois says it was more.] Pastors from our four churches--Christ, Grace, Mt. Olive, Our Savior--led worship. The theme was "Rejoicing Together," & the theme verse was Philippians 4:4:  Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again:  Rejoice!" 

TODAY'S VERSE

"God is so great--higher than the heavens, higher than the stars." Job 22:12, The Living Bible

TODAY'S PRAYER

"Lord, my God, my gracious God, I thank You for what You have done to me in Baptism! You have regenerated me. You have given me forgiveness of sins, & thereby that righteousness which is valid in Your sight. You have delivered me from death & the devil, & given me eternal salvation.You have granted unto me the Holy Spirit, who works & sustains faith & a new spiritual life within me. O my God, by the possession of such grace let me live & die, & awaken & live forever. Amen, for Christ's sake! Amen." C.M. Zorn, Crumbs. This is one of the devotional books that I use during my daily quiet time.

OUR STANDARD OF LIVING

"The way in which we measure our standard of living indicates the race we have decided to run." Patrick Morley, Men's Devotional Bible

TRUE PEACE

"But there is no access to true peace outside of identification as the children of God. When we try to cover ourselves, we get eternal shame & pain & death. We get the cross. But Jesus took it from us. He kept His promise--not by inflicting the punishment but by taking it upon Himself. He was pierced for our transgressions. He was crushed for our iniquities. The punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, & by His wounds we are healed.

"Now I get it. You might have more than 20 years' experience being an adult. You might feel like you can carry this cross, that you've got it covered, & I feel that way sometimes, too. Being in the military has taught me that I am not enough to cover for myself. I have learned this lesson in a thousand ways. I'm grateful for my sergeant because he not only solved my problem but pointed me back to an important sergeant from history--the centurion who saw Jesus for who He really is there on the cross." Rev. Michael Ziegler, Speaker of The Lutheran Hour, The Lutheran Layman, Summer 2021

TODAY'S HYMN

Thanks to Thee, O Christ, Victorious, LSB 548, Sts. 1-3

Thanks to Thee, O Christ, victorious! Thanks to Thee, O Lord of Life! Death hath now no power o'er us, Thou hast conquered in the strife. Thanks because Thou didst arise And hast opened paradise! None can fully sing the glory Of the resurrection story.

Thou has died for my transgression, All my sins on Thee were laid; Thou hast won for me salvation, On the cross my debt was paid. From the grave I shall arise And shall meet Thee in the skies. Death itself is transitory; I shall lift my head in glory.

For the joy Thine advent gave me, For Thy holy, previous Word; For Thy Baptism, which doth save me, For Thy blest Communion Board; For Thy death, the bitter scorn, For Thy resurrection morn, Lord, I thank Thee & extol Thee, and in heav'n I shall behold Thee.