Order of Compline ( LSB 253 )
Commemoration of St. Joseph, Guardian of Our Lord
Hymns : LSB 716 “I Walk in Danger All the Way”
LSB 880 “Now Rest Beneath Night’s Shadow”
Tag: Devotions
Order of Compline ( LSB 253 )
Commemoration of St. Joseph, Guardian of Our Lord
Hymns : LSB 716 “I Walk in Danger All the Way”
LSB 880 “Now Rest Beneath Night’s Shadow”
Although God permits people to become sick, He does not want them to cease praying. In fact, He wants the sick to pray more eagerly. Yes, as the sickness grows more severe, prayer is to become more fervent. We see an example of this in our Lord Jesus Christ, where Luke records: “and being in agony He prayed more earnestly” (Luke 22:44).
“Morning Prayer of a Sick Person: Exhortation.” Starck’s Book of Prayer. CPH 2009.
Nothing in this world happens by chance. God determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name (Psalm 147:4). The Son of God is sustaining all things by His powerful word (Hebrews 1:3), and in Him all things hold together (Colossians 1:17).
When people become sick, it is because God has permitted it. The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). Suffering exists for our chastisement and as a means of calling us to repentance. Yet, the same verse from Romans concludes with the comforting promise that “the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Two chapters later in the letter to the Romans we are told “that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose” (Rom. 8:28) and that “He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him graciously give us all things.” (Rom 8:32). “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?…No, in all things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:35-39).
We trust, that as God has provided for our eternal life in Christ, He also will defend us against all danger and guard and protect us from all evil out of His fatherly, divine goodness and mercy each day. Our times are in His hands (Psalm 31:15), and even as two sparrows are sold for a penny and not one of them falls to the ground apart from the will of our heavenly Father, so too, even the very hairs of are head are numbered (Matthew 10:29-30).
I’m going to paraphrase what Johann Starck wrote in his prayer book. Jesus is with us, even in the midst of sickness–he is here to comfort us and give us strength, and also to teach and guide us, to call us to repentance and show us the way to walk forward. Perhaps in normal times we were not diligent in attending church or fervent in prayer–now that has become something we can’t take for granted. Perhaps we made an idol out of sports, either as spectators or in our children’s lives–now they have been taken from us. Perhaps we thought that our wealth would keep us from having to worry about ultimate things–now the market tumbles and small businesses and farmers are left wondering what the coming months will bring. Perhaps we have not read the Scriptures and stored up a supply of comforting passages while times were good–and now all we have is the supply of toilet paper that we managed grab before the store ran out.
God sometimes lets these things happen to remind us of our faults and reveal our idols. He then turns our eyes back to Him. To turn our eyes back to things that really matter, and to set our hearts on things above. God has given us time home in smaller groups that we may pray more fervently. And for all who have been lovers of God and His Word, now God will show us by means of these events how to put into practice what we have heard from God about patience and submitting to His Fatherly will. These are times for our faith to bear fruit.
Each day that we are able wake up and pray “This is the day the LORD has made,” is a gracious gifts that we can rejoice and be glad in. Times like these remind us it is a gift that might not have come, and yet here it is. We pray the Lord to help make the proper use of it.
[Update 2: Due to continuing recommendations, we have decided to switch to live-stream services only for the time being. 4/4/20]
[Update: Community spread cases have begun in the Panhandle. Because of this, a Directed Health Mandate has been issued for Sheridan County and others, which gives the ten person limit the force of law, and extends the date to May 11th.]
Our church has a Facebook page: facebook.com/gracelutherangordon. It will mostly be used for posting things that have appeared here and for live-streaming services.
Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod Resources
Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services COVID-19 Information
Panhandle Public Health District Information
We’re trying our best to stay on top of all the changes that are coming our way. Here’s what you need to know:
Church services will be live-streamed only! Live services will begin Sunday at 8:30am, and an archived view can be watched anytime here.
Weekend Service times (subject to change pending future considerations):
- Sunday: 8:30am (Live-stream only)
Until March 31st May 11th, we are required to limit gatherings to less than 10 people, including the pastor. This will be strictly enforced. Per clarification from Governor Ricketts, we can have ten people in the church building and another ten in the fellowship hall. After we have met our capacity, we will ask people to return for the next service at a later time. If there are people turned away from the 10am service, we will consider holding another service afterward.
We will be attempting to live-stream services, and we will do our best to make that video available to as many people as we can who may not be able to attend weekend services.
Please Note!
If you are in one of the at-risk groups because of age, underlying health conditions, if you have been asked to self-quarantine due to possible infection, or if you are infected already, Pastor asks you to stay home to avoid infection and protect your neighbor. Please call Pastor and inform him so he can determine the best way to provide you with God’s gifts for the time to come.
We will ask people to maintain a proper distance from each other to avoid spreading disease. We will sterilize the communion vessels before, during, and after distribution. We will follow proper hygiene procedures. We will clean the worship space after each service.
After March 31st if there are no community spread cases of COVID-19, the Nebraska government will revisit these restrictions.
This disease will be a test from God, a time to grow in our faith and dependence on Him for all good things through Jesus Christ His Son. One thing that will be especially important is to make sure that even though our opportunities to gather as brothers and sisters in Christ are limited, we are still letting God’s Word dwell richly in our hearts and our homes. In order to help with this:
- Pastor will attempt to live-stream a morning and evening prayer service each day.
- Pastor will post daily devotion suggestions with Scripture readings, prayers, catechism readings, and hymns to sing.
- Links will be provided to other helpful devotional resources.
Governor Ricketts has said he thinks very highly of our state’s churches and the service to community that the people of God provide. In a conference call with Nebraska clergy, he especially asked for help from the churches in four areas:
- That we pray for our government leaders; doctors, nurses, and all medical staff, first-responders and law enforcement, for the sick and dying, and for all their families. Here are some prayers that we use at church that can help in those prayers:
- Eternal Lord, ruler of all, graciously regard those who have been set in positions of authority among us that, guided by Your Spirit, they may be high in purpose, wise in counsel, firm in good resolution, and unwavering in duty, that under them we may be governed quietly and peaceably; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
- Lord God, be with the doctors and nurses and all others who minister to the needs of those who are ill. Through their wise and compassionate service, grant relief to the suffering and hope to the afflicted so that all may know of Your boundless care; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
- O Lord God, by the sudden deaths of many people in these days, You have shown that Your thoughts are not our thoughts nor Your ways our ways. We thank You for the blessings of body and soul that You have bestowed on the departed. Comfort the members of their families who mourn their deaths, and assist us ever to prepare for Your final summons when we will depart and be with Christ in blessedness and glory; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
- That we identify the people among us who are self-isolating and quarantined. We should know who they are and what needs they may have in the days to come. This may include:
- phone calls so they do not feel alone
- seeing if they need help with groceries or medicine
- seeing if they need meals delivered
- That we consider providing childcare, especially for those called to work extra through all of this, especially medical personnel and first-responders. [I’m really not sure how to do this while still complying with government mandates, and trying to limit the spread of disease. If anyone has any ideas, we’re all ears.]
- That we not forget the poor and needy among us. This may take the form of financial assistance for specific needs and providing food and clothing items. (The governor also noted that they are seeking to make it easier for people to access SNAP, unemployment, etc.).