I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord”
Psalm 122:1
Scripture Readings For the Week:
Genesis 17:3b-14
Galatians 3:23-29
Luke 2:21
God makes His covenant with His people. They hear His Word, they believe it, and they follow it. God marks the sons of Abraham in their bodies so that each generation is born through the promise. Jesus is the fulfillment of the promises to Abraham and His family. In Christ, we are called not just to mark a part of ourselves, but to crucify the flesh and in repentance put to death the old man of sin. Jesus raises us as new men to live and serve Him in righteousness and purity, bringing each generation up in the promise of life in the Father’s house through Jesus Christ.
Prayer of the Day:
Salutation and Collect of the Day
Lord God, You made Your beloved Son, our Savior, subject to the Law and caused Him to shed His blood on our behalf. Grant us the true circumcision of the Spirit that our hearts may be made pure from all sins; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Hymns
383 A Great and Mighty Wonder
TLH 115 O Blessed Day When First Was Poured
384 Of the Father’s Love Begotten
385 From East to West
TLH 120 Help Us, O Lord! Behold, We Enter
Bach Cantata for the Week
BWV 190 Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied! (Translation Source)
- Chorus
Sing a new song to the Lord!
The company of the saints shall praise him!
Praise him with drums and dances,
praise him with strings and pipes!
Lord God, we praise you!
Everything that has breath, praise the Lord!
Lord God, we thank you!
Alleluia! - Chorus and Recitative B T A
Lord God, we praise you,
Since you, with this new year,
send us new fortune
and new blessing
and still think upon us in grace.
Lord God, we thank you,
since your goodness
in times past
has protected the entire land
and our worthy city
from inflation, disease and war.
Lord God, we praise you,
for your fatherly love
has still no end,
it is still renewed for us every morning.
Therefore for this reason,
merciful God,
we fold in humility our hands
and lifelong speak praise and thanks
with our mouths and hearts.
Lord God, we thank you! - Aria A
Praise, Sion, your God,
praise your God with joy,
arise! proclaim his glory,
who in his sanctuary
from now on as your shepherd
will pasture you in green meadows. - Recitative B
The world desires for itself
what pleases flesh and blood;
only one thing, one thing I ask of the Lord,
this I would gladly have,
that Jesus, my joy,
my true shepherd, my comfort and salvation
and the best part of my soul,
would embrace me as a lamb of his flock
and protect me also this year
and not let me out
of his arms ever again.
His good Spirit,
which shows me the path to life,
guides and leads me upon a level road,
therefore I begin this year in Jesus’ name. - Aria (Duet) T B
Jesus shall be my everything,
Jesus shall remain my beginning,
Jesus is my light of joy,
I will ascribe myself to Jesus.
Jesus helps me through his blood,
Jesus shall make my end a good one. - Recitative T
Now, may Jesus grant
that with the new year
his annointed one may also live;
He blesses both trunk and branch,
so that its good fortune
may reach the clouds.
May Jesus church and school,
may he bless all faithful teachers,
may he bless all the hearers of his word;
may he bless the council and judge’s seat;
may he pour out upon every house
the fount of blessing in our city;
may he grant that once again
peace and loyalty
might kiss each other within our borders.
Thus we would live this entire year
in blessing. - Chorale
Let us complete the year
to the praise of your name,
so that we might sing the same
in the company of Christians.
If you choose to extend our lives
through your almighty hand,
sustain your beloved Christians
and our fatherland.
Turn your blessing upon us,
give peace to every outcome,
grant, uncorrupted, to our country,
your sanctifying word.
Put the hypocrite to shame
here and in every place!