Collect
Almighty
God, heavenly Father, You have called us to be Your children and
heirs of Your gracious promises in Christ Jesus. Grant us Your Holy
Spirit that we may forsake all covetous desires and the inordinate
love of riches. Deliver us from the pursuit of passing things that
we may seek the kingdom of Your Son and trust in His righteousness
and so find blessedness and peace; through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Life together in the Church calls for unity, because people cannot dwell together long without agreement. Holy Scripture is the basis of Christian unity.
Parents nurture their children in the faith when they read the Bible to them and bring them to church. Adults new to God's Word grow in the faith when they come together where God's Word is read and studied together.
When Moses first read God's Word to the people of Israel after they had departed from Egyptian slavery, the Holy Spirit worked through the Law and the Gospel of the Word to create and consecrate a community of faith. The Lord entrusted His life-giving Word to the community and still leads it today through the Word. The Holy Spirit adds to this community all sho are baptized into Christ, trusting in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, which is the central message of Scripture.
From the Lord,
through the prophets and apostles,
in the community of faith that confesses God's Word,
we receive the Gospel-promise of our salvation in Christ and
return to the Lord our heartfelt service, prayers and praise.
Parents nurture their children in the faith when they read the Bible to them and bring them to church. Adults new to God's Word grow in the faith when they come together where God's Word is read and studied together.
When Moses first read God's Word to the people of Israel after they had departed from Egyptian slavery, the Holy Spirit worked through the Law and the Gospel of the Word to create and consecrate a community of faith. The Lord entrusted His life-giving Word to the community and still leads it today through the Word. The Holy Spirit adds to this community all sho are baptized into Christ, trusting in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, which is the central message of Scripture.
From the Lord,
through the prophets and apostles,
in the community of faith that confesses God's Word,
we receive the Gospel-promise of our salvation in Christ and
return to the Lord our heartfelt service, prayers and praise.
Adam and Eve's sin forever altered the loving commitment of marriage and the full blessing of family life that God intended for us. Counselors today speak of "dysfunctional" marriages or families. Because of sin, every human relationship is more or less dysfunctional. In Genesis, we see three aberrations by which the dysfunction of sin severed the bonds of love: Polygamy, Prostitution, and Intermarriage with reject the Lord.
Polygamy
Not trusting fully in God's promise, Abraham agreed to take Sarah's servant Hagar and have a child by her. From this union came Ishmael--and a great deal of discord. Hagar eventually despised Sarah, and Sarah had her dismissed.
In today's reading, Jacob ends up with two wives and two concubines; Jacob had deceived Esau and is now deceived by his uncle Laban. Jacob favors Rachel most of all, and this became a source of unending pain for her sister, Leah. When Leah was able to have children and Rachel could not, Rachel became jealous. Both women ended up giving their maidservants to Jacob in what became a contest to see who could provide the most heirs. Polygamy was the source of rivalry, jealousy, and hurt. Today's attitudes making marriages disposable make multiple marital relationships with various combinations of family life cause the same type of chaos in families.
Then
Jacob went on his journey and came to the land of the people of the
east. As he looked, he saw a well in the field, and behold, three
flocks of sheep lying beside it, for out of that well the flocks
were watered. The stone on the well’s mouth was large, and when
all the flocks were gathered there, the shepherds would roll the
stone from the mouth of the well and water the sheep, and put the
stone back in its place over the mouth of the well.
Jacob
said to them, “My brothers, where do you come from?” They said,
“We are from Haran.” He said to them, “Do you know Laban the
son of Nahor?” They said, “We know him.” He said to them, “Is
it well with him?” They said, “It is well; and see, Rachel his
daughter is coming with the sheep!” He said, “Behold, it is
still high day; it is not time for the livestock to be gathered
together. Water the sheep and go, pasture them.” But they said,
“We cannot until all the flocks are gathered together and the
stone is rolled from the mouth of the well; then we water the
sheep.”
While
he was still speaking with them, Rachel came with her father’s
sheep, for she was a shepherdess. Now as soon as Jacob saw Rachel
the daughter of Laban his mother’s brother, and the sheep of Laban
his mother’s brother, Jacob came near and rolled the stone from
the well’s mouth and watered the flock of Laban his mother’s
brother. Then Jacob kissed Rachel and wept aloud. And Jacob told
Rachel that he was her father’s kinsman, and that he was Rebekah’s
son, and she ran and told her father.
As
soon as Laban heard the news about Jacob, his sister’s son, he ran
to meet him and embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his
house. Jacob told Laban all these things, and Laban said to him,
“Surely you are my bone and my flesh!” And he stayed with him a
month.
Then
Laban said to Jacob, “Because you are my kinsman, should you
therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what shall your wages be?”
Now Laban had two daughters. The name of the older was Leah, and the
name of the younger was Rachel. Leah’s eyes were weak, but Rachel
was beautiful in form and appearance. Jacob loved Rachel. And he
said, “I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter
Rachel.” Laban said, “It is better that I give her to you than
that I should give her to any other man; stay with me.” So Jacob
served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed to him but a few days
because of the love he had for her.
Then
Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife that I may go in to her, for
my time is completed.” So Laban gathered together all the people
of the place and made a feast. But in the evening he took his
daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob, and he went in to her.
(Laban gave his female servant Zilpah to his daughter Leah to be her
servant.) And in the morning, behold, it was Leah! And Jacob said to
Laban, “What is this you have done to me? Did I not serve with you
for Rachel? Why then have you deceived me?” Laban said, “It is
not so done in our country, to give the younger before the
firstborn. Complete the week of this one, and we will give you the
other also in return for serving me another seven years.” Jacob
did so, and completed her week. Then Laban gave him his daughter
Rachel to be his wife. (Laban gave his female servant Bilhah to his
daughter Rachel to be her servant.) So Jacob went in to Rachel also,
and he loved Rachel more than Leah, and served Laban for another
seven years.
When
the Lord saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb, but Rachel was
barren. And Leah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name
Reuben, for she said, “Because the Lord has looked upon my
affliction; for now my husband will love me.” She conceived again
and bore a son, and said, “Because the Lord has heard that I am
hated, he has given me this son also.” And she called his name
Simeon. Again she conceived and bore a son, and said, “Now this
time my husband will be attached to me, because I have borne him
three sons.” Therefore his name was called Levi. And she conceived
again and bore a son, and said, “This time I will praise the
Lord.” Therefore she called his name Judah. Then she ceased
bearing.
When
Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, she envied her sister.
She said to Jacob, “Give me children, or I shall die!” Jacob’s
anger was kindled against Rachel, and he said, “Am I in the place
of God, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?” Then she
said, “Here is my servant Bilhah; go in to her, so that she may
give birth on my behalf, that even I may have children through her.”
So she gave him her servant Bilhah as a wife, and Jacob went in to
her. And Bilhah conceived and bore Jacob a son. Then Rachel said,
“God has judged me, and has also heard my voice and given me a
son.” Therefore she called his name Dan. Rachel’s servant Bilhah
conceived again and bore Jacob a second son. Then Rachel said, “With
mighty wrestlings I have wrestled with my sister and have
prevailed.” So she called his name Naphtali.
When
Leah saw that she had ceased bearing children, she took her servant
Zilpah and gave her to Jacob as a wife. Then Leah’s servant Zilpah
bore Jacob a son. And Leah said, “Good fortune has come!” so she
called his name Gad. Leah’s servant Zilpah bore Jacob a second
son. And Leah said, “Happy am I! For women have called me happy.”
So she called his name Asher.
In
the days of wheat harvest Reuben went and found mandrakes in the
field and brought them to his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah,
“Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.” But she said to
her, “Is it a small matter that you have taken away my husband?
Would you take away my son’s mandrakes also?” Rachel said, “Then
he may lie with you tonight in exchange for your son’s mandrakes.”
When Jacob came from the field in the evening, Leah went out to meet
him and said, “You must come in to me, for I have hired you with
my son’s mandrakes.” So he lay with her that night. And God
listened to Leah, and she conceived and bore Jacob a fifth son. Leah
said, “God has given me my wages because I gave my servant to my
husband.” So she called his name Issachar.
And
Leah conceived again, and she bore Jacob a sixth son. Then Leah
said, “God has endowed me with a good endowment; now my husband
will honor me, because I have borne him six sons.” So she called
his name Zebulun. Afterward she bore a daughter and called her name
Dinah.
Then
God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her and opened her womb.
She conceived and bore a son and said, “God has taken away my
reproach.” And she called his name Joseph, saying, “May the Lord
add to me another son!”
As
soon as Rachel had borne Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Send me
away, that I may go to my own home and country. Give me my wives and
my children for whom I have served you, that I may go, for you know
the service that I have given you.” But Laban said to him, “If I
have found favor in your sight, I have learned by divination that
the Lord has blessed me because of you. Name your wages, and I will
give it.” Jacob said to him, “You yourself know how I have
served you, and how your livestock has fared with me. For you had
little before I came, and it has increased abundantly, and the Lord
has blessed you wherever I turned. But now when shall I provide for
my own household also?” He said, “What shall I give you?”
Jacob said, “You shall not give me anything. If you will do this
for me, I will again pasture your flock and keep it: let me pass
through all your flock today, removing from it every speckled and
spotted sheep and every black lamb, and the spotted and speckled
among the goats, and they shall be my wages. So my honesty will
answer for me later, when you come to look into my wages with you.
Every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats and black
among the lambs, if found with me, shall be counted stolen.” Laban
said, “Good! Let it be as you have said.” But that day Laban
removed the male goats that were striped and spotted, and all the
female goats that were speckled and spotted, every one that had
white on it, and every lamb that was black, and put them in charge
of his sons. And he set a distance of three days’ journey between
himself and Jacob, and Jacob pastured the rest of Laban’s flock.
Then
Jacob took fresh sticks of poplar and almond and plane trees, and
peeled white streaks in them, exposing the white of the sticks. He
set the sticks that he had peeled in front of the flocks in the
troughs, that is, the watering places, where the flocks came to
drink. And since they bred when they came to drink, the flocks bred
in front of the sticks and so the flocks brought forth striped,
speckled, and spotted. And Jacob separated the lambs and set the
faces of the flocks toward the striped and all the black in the
flock of Laban. He put his own droves apart and did not put them
with Laban’s flock. Whenever the stronger of the flock were
breeding, Jacob would lay the sticks in the troughs before the eyes
of the flock, that they might breed among the sticks, but for the
feebler of the flock he would not lay them there. So the feebler
would be Laban’s, and the stronger Jacob’s. Thus the man
increased greatly and had large flocks, female servants and male
servants, and camels and donkeys.
974
Jesus Sinners Doth Receive
Oh, how blest it is to know:
Were as scarlet my transgression,
It
shall be as white as snow
By Thy blood and bitter passion;
For
these words I now believe:
Jesus sinners doth receive.
Now my conscience is at peace;
From the Law I stand
acquitted.
Christ hath purchased my release
And my ev’ry sin
remitted.
Naught remains my soul to grieve:
Jesus sinners doth
receive.
Jesus sinners doth receive;
Also I have been forgiven;
And
when I this earth must leave,
I shall find an open heaven.
Dying,
still to Him I cleave:
Jesus sinners doth receive.
Public domain
Apostles'
Creed
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 T everlasting.
Amen.
Hallowed
be Your name.
What
does this mean?
God's
name is certainly holy in itself, but we pray in this petition that
it may be kept holy among us also.
How
is God's name kept holy?
God's
name is kept holy when the Word of God is taught in its truth and
purity, and we, as the children of God, also lead holy lives
according to it. Help us to do this, dear Father in heaven! But
anyone who teaches or lives contrary to God's Word profanes the name
of God among us. Protect us from this, heavenly Father!
Prayers for others and ourselves:
- For the Church and her pastors;
- for all called church workers;
- for missionaries;
- for all who serve the Church;
- for fruitful and beneficial use of the blessed Sacrament of Christ's Body and Blood.
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.
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 T Jesus
Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be
with you all.
C
Amen.
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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