Invocation
P In
the name of the Father and of the + Son
and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Collect
Blessed
Lord, You have caused all Holy Scriptures to be written for our
learning. Grant that we may so hear them, read, mark, learn, and
inwardly digest them that, by patience and comfort of Your holy Word,
we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of eternal life;
through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Reading
the Bible
Faith
is not something that people naturally possess and offer to God (John
1:9-13). For someone to believe in Jesus and understand Scripture,
the Holy Spirit must create faith in the person's heart (John 3:5-6).
The
word trust, a synonym for faith, can help us understand how this
takes place. You can't have genuine trust in someone you've never met
or interacted with. Trust is created through the words and actions of
one person toward another. The Holy Spirit creates faith, or trust,
in Jesus when God speaks and interacts with that person through His
Word, Holy Baptism, and the Lord's Supper (God's means of grace),
which are administered by the Church. Through these means, a person
comes to know God, to trust Him, and to belong to him in the
congregation of the faithful.
Reading
Genesis
We
have seen a wide variety of family relationships. Genesis has
revealed that people committed every variety of unfaithfulness
against each other in families. Again and again, the Lord has to call
His chosen back from sin to hear His plans and promises for them. In
our bible study hour at St. Paul's the last two Sundays, members who
have taught children's classes in church all their lives and were
raised on the same fair themselves have seen that only those stories
which might be classified rated-G are included in those curricula and
“heros” of the faith were anything but. God's people needed
Jesus because they were sinners. While it is never appropriate to
sensationalize sin even in the Scriptures, as Christians grow up, the
Church must never try to hide the fact that the “saints” of old
were saints on the same basis that we are, by Faith in Jesus Christ.
There is only one hero in the Scriptures, the Lord.
That
said, today we get a bit of a reprieve from depravity (finally).
Sarah is laid to rest and Abraham faithful makes arrangements to bury
her in the promised land. Further, Abraham makes arrangements for his
son, Isaac, to be married to an extended member of the family who
knows the Lord. Finding spouses who know the Lord is a continuing
theme in Genesis and is not something to be passed over lightly.
Reading
Genesis 23:1—24:67
Sarah
lived 127 years; these were the years of the life of Sarah. And Sarah
died at Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and
Abraham went in to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her. And Abraham
rose up from before his dead and said to the Hittites, “I am a
sojourner and foreigner among you; give me property among you for a
burying place, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.” The
Hittites answered Abraham, “Hear us, my lord; you are a prince of
God among us. Bury your dead in the choicest of our tombs. None of us
will withhold from you his tomb to hinder you from burying your
dead.” Abraham rose and bowed to the Hittites, the people of the
land. And he said to them, “If you are willing that I should bury
my dead out of my sight, hear me and entreat for me Ephron the son of
Zohar, that he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he owns; it
is at the end of his field. For the full price let him give it to me
in your presence as property for a burying place.”
Now
Ephron was sitting among the Hittites, and Ephron the Hittite
answered Abraham in the hearing of the Hittites, of all who went in
at the gate of his city, “No, my lord, hear me: I give you the
field, and I give you the cave that is in it. In the sight of the
sons of my people I give it to you. Bury your dead.” Then Abraham
bowed down before the people of the land. And he said to Ephron in
the hearing of the people of the land, “But if you will, hear me: I
give the price of the field. Accept it from me, that I may bury my
dead there.” Ephron answered Abraham, “My lord, listen to me: a
piece of land worth four hundred shekels of silver, what is that
between you and me? Bury your dead.” Abraham listened to Ephron,
and Abraham weighed out for Ephron the silver that he had named in
the hearing of the Hittites, four hundred shekels of silver,
according to the weights current among the merchants.
So
the field of Ephron in Machpelah, which was to the east of Mamre, the
field with the cave that was in it and all the trees that were in the
field, throughout its whole area, was made over to Abraham as a
possession in the presence of the Hittites, before all who went in at
the gate of his city. After this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in
the cave of the field of Machpelah east of Mamre (that is, Hebron) in
the land of Canaan. The field and the cave that is in it were made
over to Abraham as property for a burying place by the Hittites.
Collect
Eternal
God, merciful Father, look graciously upon us who sorrow at the loss
of a Christian [brother/sister], a beloved [husband and father / wife
and mother]. Help us call to mind the many mercies which from
[his/her] youth You bestowed on our departed [brother/sister].
Comfort us with the assurance that You will raise [him/her] in power
and glory and that we shall see [him/her] again with You in
everlasting life. Teach us all to number our days that we may gain a
heart of wisdom and, when our last hour comes, be with us and grant
us a blessed end; through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Now
Abraham was old, well advanced in years. And the Lord had blessed
Abraham in all things. And Abraham said to his servant, the oldest of
his household, who had charge of all that he had, “Put your hand
under my thigh, that I may make you swear by the Lord, the God of
heaven and God of the earth, that you will not take a wife for my son
from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell, but will go
to my country and to my kindred, and take a wife for my son Isaac.”
The servant said to him, “Perhaps the woman may not be willing to
follow me to this land. Must I then take your son back to the land
from which you came?” Abraham said to him, “See to it that you do
not take my son back there. The Lord, the God of heaven, who took me
from my father’s house and from the land of my kindred, and who
spoke to me and swore to me, ‘To your offspring I will give this
land,’ he will send his angel before you, and you shall take a wife
for my son from there. But if the woman is not willing to follow you,
then you will be free from this oath of mine; only you must not take
my son back there.” So the servant put his hand under the thigh of
Abraham his master and swore to him concerning this matter.
Then
the servant took ten of his master’s camels and departed, taking
all sorts of choice gifts from his master; and he arose and went to
Mesopotamia to the city of Nahor. And he made the camels kneel down
outside the city by the well of water at the time of evening, the
time when women go out to draw water. And he said, “O Lord, God of
my master Abraham, please grant me success today and show steadfast
love to my master Abraham. Behold, I am standing by the spring of
water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to
draw water. Let the young woman to whom I shall say, ‘Please let
down your jar that I may drink,’ and who shall say, ‘Drink, and I
will water your camels’—let her be the one whom you have
appointed for your servant Isaac. By this I shall know that you have
shown steadfast love to my master.”
Before
he had finished speaking, behold, Rebekah, who was born to Bethuel
the son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, came out
with her water jar on her shoulder. The young woman was very
attractive in appearance, a maiden whom no man had known. She went
down to the spring and filled her jar and came up. Then the servant
ran to meet her and said, “Please give me a little water to drink
from your jar.” She said, “Drink, my lord.” And she quickly let
down her jar upon her hand and gave him a drink. When she had
finished giving him a drink, she said, “I will draw water for your
camels also, until they have finished drinking.” So she quickly
emptied her jar into the trough and ran again to the well to draw
water, and she drew for all his camels. The man gazed at her in
silence to learn whether the Lord had prospered his journey or not.
When
the camels had finished drinking, the man took a gold ring weighing a
half shekel, and two bracelets for her arms weighing ten gold
shekels, and said, “Please tell me whose daughter you are. Is there
room in your father’s house for us to spend the night?” She said
to him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, whom she
bore to Nahor.” She added, “We have plenty of both straw and
fodder, and room to spend the night.” The man bowed his head and
worshiped the Lord and said, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of my
master Abraham, who has not forsaken his steadfast love and his
faithfulness toward my master. As for me, the Lord has led me in the
way to the house of my master’s kinsmen.” Then the young woman
ran and told her mother’s household about these things.
Rebekah
had a brother whose name was Laban. Laban ran out toward the man, to
the spring. As soon as he saw the ring and the bracelets on his
sister’s arms, and heard the words of Rebekah his sister, “Thus
the man spoke to me,” he went to the man. And behold, he was
standing by the camels at the spring. He said, “Come in, O blessed
of the Lord. Why do you stand outside? For I have prepared the house
and a place for the camels.” So the man came to the house and
unharnessed the camels, and gave straw and fodder to the camels, and
there was water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were
with him. Then food was set before him to eat. But he said, “I will
not eat until I have said what I have to say.” He said, “Speak
on.”
So
he said, “I am Abraham’s servant. The Lord has greatly blessed my
master, and he has become great. He has given him flocks and herds,
silver and gold, male servants and female servants, camels and
donkeys. And Sarah my master’s wife bore a son to my master when
she was old, and to him he has given all that he has. My master made
me swear, saying, ‘You shall not take a wife for my son from the
daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I dwell, but you shall go
to my father’s house and to my clan and take a wife for my son.’
I said to my master, ‘Perhaps the woman will not follow me.’ But
he said to me, ‘The Lord, before whom I have walked, will send his
angel with you and prosper your way. You shall take a wife for my son
from my clan and from my father’s house. Then you will be free from
my oath, when you come to my clan. And if they will not give her to
you, you will be free from my oath.’
“I
came today to the spring and said, ‘O Lord, the God of my master
Abraham, if now you are prospering the way that I go, behold, I am
standing by the spring of water. Let the virgin who comes out to draw
water, to whom I shall say, “Please give me a little water from
your jar to drink,” and who will say to me, “Drink, and I will
draw for your camels also,” let her be the woman whom the Lord has
appointed for my master’s son.’
“Before
I had finished speaking in my heart, behold, Rebekah came out with
her water jar on her shoulder, and she went down to the spring and
drew water. I said to her, ‘Please let me drink.’ She quickly let
down her jar from her shoulder and said, ‘Drink, and I will give
your camels drink also.’ So I drank, and she gave the camels drink
also. Then I asked her, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ She said, ‘The
daughter of Bethuel, Nahor’s son, whom Milcah bore to him.’ So I
put the ring on her nose and the bracelets on her arms. Then I bowed
my head and worshiped the Lord and blessed the Lord, the God of my
master Abraham, who had led me by the right way to take the daughter
of my master’s kinsman for his son. Now then, if you are going to
show steadfast love and faithfulness to my master, tell me; and if
not, tell me, that I may turn to the right hand or to the left.”
Then
Laban and Bethuel answered and said, “The thing has come from the
Lord; we cannot speak to you bad or good. Behold, Rebekah is before
you; take her and go, and let her be the wife of your master’s son,
as the Lord has spoken.”
When
Abraham’s servant heard their words, he bowed himself to the earth
before the Lord. And the servant brought out jewelry of silver and of
gold, and garments, and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave to her
brother and to her mother costly ornaments. And he and the men who
were with him ate and drank, and they spent the night there. When
they arose in the morning, he said, “Send me away to my master.”
Her brother and her mother said, “Let the young woman remain with
us a while, at least ten days; after that she may go.” But he said
to them, “Do not delay me, since the Lord has prospered my way.
Send me away that I may go to my master.” They said, “Let us call
the young woman and ask her.” And they called Rebekah and said to
her, “Will you go with this man?” She said, “I will go.” So
they sent away Rebekah their sister and her nurse, and Abraham’s
servant and his men. And they blessed Rebekah and said to her,
“Our
sister, may you become
thousands
of ten thousands,
and
may your offspring possess
the
gate of those who hate them!”
Then
Rebekah and her young women arose and rode on the camels and followed
the man. Thus the servant took Rebekah and went his way.
Now
Isaac had returned from Beer-lahai-roi and was dwelling in the Negeb.
And Isaac went out to meditate in the field toward evening. And he
lifted up his eyes and saw, and behold, there were camels coming. And
Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she dismounted
from the camel and said to the servant, “Who is that man, walking
in the field to meet us?” The servant said, “It is my master.”
So she took her veil and covered herself. And the servant told Isaac
all the things that he had done. Then Isaac brought her into the tent
of Sarah his mother and took Rebekah, and she became his wife, and he
loved her. So Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.
Collect
Almighty
God, You created man and woman and joined them together in holy
marriage, thereby reflecting the mystical union between Christ and
His bride, the Church. By Your infinite goodness, let Your blessing
rest upon all husbands and wives, that they may live together to Your
glory in this life and with joy may come to everlasting life; through
Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and
the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
He
lives to silence all my fears;
He lives to wipe away my tears;
He
lives to calm my troubled heart;
He lives all blessings to impart.
He
lives, my kind, wise, heav’nly friend;
He lives and loves me to
the end;
He lives, and while He lives, I’ll sing;
He lives,
my Prophet, Priest, and King.
He
lives and grants me daily breath;
He lives, and I shall conquer
death;
He lives my mansion to prepare;
He lives to bring me
safely there.
He
lives, all glory to His name!
He lives, my Jesus, still the
same;
Oh, the sweet joy this sentence gives:
I know that my
Redeemer lives!
Public domain
Apostles'
Creed
C I
believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker
of heaven and earth.
And
in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who
was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born
of the virgin Mary,
suffered
under Pontius Pilate,
was
crucified, died and was buried.
He
descended into hell.
The
third day He rose again from the dead.
He
ascended into heaven
and
sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From
thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I
believe in the Holy Spirit,
the
holy Christian Church,
the
communion of saints,
the
forgiveness of sins,
the
resurrection of the body,
and
the life + everlasting.
Amen.
The
Second Article
Redemption
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
What does this mean?
I
believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from all
eternity, and also true man, born of the virgin Mary, is my Lord,
who
has redeemed me, a lost and condemned person, purchased and won me
from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil; not with
gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood and with His
innocent suffering and death,
that
I may be His own and live under Him in His kingdom and serve Him in
everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness,
just
as He is risen from the dead, lives and reigns to all eternity.
This
is most certainly true.
- For faith to live in the promises of Holy Baptism;
- for one's calling and daily work;
- for the unemployed;
- for the salvation and well-being of our neighbors;
- for schools, colleges, and seminaries;
- for good government
- for peace.
Lord's
Prayer
C 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.
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.
Luther's
Morning Prayer
C I
thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son,
that You have kept me this night from all harm and danger; and I pray
that You would keep me this day also from sin and every evil, that
all my doings and life may please You. For into Your hands I commend
myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be
with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen.
Luther's
Evening Prayer
C I
thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son,
that You have graciously kept me this day; and I pray that You would
forgive me all my sins where I have done wrong, and graciously keep
me this night. For into Your hands I commend myself, my body and
soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil
foe may have no power over me. Amen.
Benediction
(Pauline)
P The
grace of the Lord + Jesus Christ and
the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you
all.
C Amen.
Acknowledgments
Unless
otherwise indicated, all scripture quotations are from The Holy
Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway
Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All
rights reserved.
Created
by Lutheran Service Builder © 2006 Concordia Publishing House.
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