Good Evening, Lord!
Words of Comfort
[O God, you are] like a hiding
place from the wind, a shelter from the storm, like streams of water in a dry
place, like the shade of a great rock in a weary land. (Isa. 32:2 ESV)
Prayer of Confession
In Your name, O crucified Lord
Jesus Christ, I end this day. You suffered the all-painful death on the trunk
of the holy cross as the true, patient, sacrificial Lamb for me. You have
bought my freedom from all sins, death, the devil, and hell through Your
rose-colored blood. Rule my heart by Your Holy Spirit, refreshing it with the
heavenly dew of Your grace. Preserve me with Your divine love and hide me –
body and soul – in Your holy wounds. Wash me clean of all my sins, maintain me
in every good work, and lead me out of the vale of tears that is this world
into eternal joy and glory, O faithful Savior, Jesus Christ, my only solace,
hope, and life. Amen.[1]
Catechism Reflections - The Third Commandment
Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.
What does this mean? We should fear and love God so that we
do not despise preaching and His Word, but hold it sacred and gladly hear and
learn it.
In its most literal sense, this
Commandment does not apply to Christians. We are free to worship whenever and
wherever we like in Christ. But setting aside time – a day of the week – to rest
and to worship allows us to come together to receive God’s gifts. It is a good
and holy thing to designate time for sacred things.
Luther writes in the Large
Catechism:
[O]n
this day of rest (since we can get no other chance), we have the freedom and
time to attend divine service. We come together to hear and use God’s Word, and
then to praise God, to sing and to pray.
However,
this keeping of the Sabbath, I point out, is not restricted to a certain time,
as with the Jewish people. It does not have to be just on this or that day. For
in itself no one day is better than another. Instead, this should be done
daily. However since the masses of people cannot attend every day, there must
be at least one day in the week set apart. From ancient times Sunday (the Lord’s
Day) has been appointed for this purpose. So we also should continue to do the
same, in order that everything may be done in an orderly way and no one may
create disorder by starting unnecessary practices.
This
is the simple meaning of the commandment: People must have holidays. Therefore,
such observances should be devoted to hearing God’s Word so that the special
function of this day of rest should be the ministry of the Word for the young
and the mass of poor people. Yet the resting should not be strictly understood
to forbid any work that comes up, which cannot be avoided.
People need holidays – that is,
we need holy days, set apart, to go about holy things – hearing the Word and
receiving the sacrament, focusing on loving our neighbor, learning God’s will
for mercy, justice, and all things needful for the Christian life. We need holy
days so that the holiness lingers upon us and carries into the rest of our
week.
Questions for Meditation
What does this reading teach
you?
What does this reading lead you
to be thankful for?
What behavior, thought, or
attitude does this reading challenge? What sin does it lead you to confess?
How might you pray for God to
have a richer impact on your life through this reading?
Lord’s Prayer
Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily
bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Verse of Benediction
The grace of the Lord Jesus
Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you
all. (2 Cor. 13:14 ESV)
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