Zion Lutheran Church (LCMS)

A Guide for Daily Prayer and Meditation: Sept 29 – October 6, 2024

Pray and confess out loud as much as you are able or based on your family size and ages. (Alternative orders in LSB pp295-8)

+++

The sign of the cross + may be made by all in remembrance of their baptism.

In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

Hymn of the Month for September LSB 725 Children of the Heavenly Father

Hymn of the Month for October LSB 596 All Christians Who Have Been Baptized

One or more verses from the hymn of the month are sung, or another hymn may be chosen.

Verse of the Week: Mark 9:50

Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.

Daily Lectionary

Confession

What is confession?

Confession has two parts.  First, that we confess our sins, and second, that we receive absolution, that is, forgiveness, from the pastor as from God Himself, not doubting, but firmly believing that by it our sins are forgiven before God in heaven.

The Apostles’ Creed is confessed † Lord’s Prayer † Prayers for Others and Ourselves (see LSB 305-318 for prayers)

In Our Prayers: Those who are suffering:  Pastor Carlson, Dan Drinkman, Ben, Louis Gettler, Arlene Hakes, Marlys Jones, Pastor Jones, Greg Leland, Missy Lien (Thomas family friend), Lacie Miles (Chrystal’s sister-in-law), Marlene Paulson (Dianne Schroeder’s sister), Arlene Potts, Michael Potts, Mark Radl, Jesse Schweisthal, Sarah Schweisthal, Kara Simmons (Pastor & Susan Thomas’ goddaughter) Leah Sparks (Marty Swearingen’s sister), Marlys St. George (Pastor Jones’ great aunt), Pastor Szedlak, Ben Thomas, Jeff Thomas

Collect for the Nineteenth Sunday After Pentecost

O God, whose strength is made perfect in weakness, grant us humility and childlike faith that we may please You in both will and deed; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Prayer based on Confession[1]

Lord Jesus Christ, I give You thanks that my sons are forgiven before Your Father in heaven. By the Holy Spirit, give me grace to trust in Your promises and so live in the freedom and peace that You have won for me in Your death and resurrection. Amen.

Let us bless the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Excerpts from the Large Catechism on Confession

- We urge you…to confess and express your needs, not for the purpose of performing a work but to hear what God wishes to say to you. The word absolution, I say, is what you should concentrate on, magnifying and cherishing it as a great and wonderful treasure to be accepted with all praise and gratitude (Tappert 459:22). 

- If all this were clearly explained, and meanwhile if the needs which ought to move and induce us to confession were clearly indicated, there would be no need of coercion or force. A man’s own conscience would impel him and make him so anxious that he would rejoice and act like a poor, miserable beggar who hears that a rich gift, of money or clothes, is to be given out at a certain place; he would need no bailiff to drive and beat him but would run there as fast as he could so as not to miss the gift (Tappert 459-460:23)

- Thus we teach what a wonderful, precious, and comforting thing confession is, and we urge that such a precious blessing should not be despised, especially when we consider our great need…. However, if you despise it and proudly stay away from confession, then we must come to the conclusion that you are no Christian and that you ought not receive the sacrament. For you despise what no Christian ought to despise, and you show thereby that you can have no forgiveness of sin. And this is a sure sign that you also despise the Gospel (Tappert 460: 28-29)

- If you are a Christian, you should be glad to run more than a hundred miles for confession, not under compulsion but rather coming and compelling us to offer it. For here the compulsion must be inverted; we must come under the command and you must come under freedom. We compel no man, but allow ourselves to be compelled, just as we are compelled to preach and administer the sacrament (Tappert 460:30).

- Therefore, when I urge you to go to confession, I am simply urging you to be a Christian (Tappert 460:32).

Bible Verses for Meditation on Confession

- Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.  Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! Psalm 51:1-2

- Psalm 51:17; Psalm 130:3-5; Psalm 103:1-3; Isaiah 1:18; Jeremiah 31:34

[1] Luther’s Small Catechism with Explanation. St. Louis: Concordia, 2017.