We hope you join us for our Advent meditations as we prepare our hearts to celebrate the birth of the King of Kings!  Advent begins Sunday December 2nd and our midweek Series, “We Three Kings of Israel Are…” begins Wednesday December 5th at 6:30 PM.

Our Christmas observance begins with a Christmas Eve Family Nativity Service at 4:00 PM.  This is an interactive worship service with children in mind (though the adults enjoy it too).  At 7:00 PM on Christmas Eve we celebrate our Candlelight Service of Lessons and Carols.  Holy Communion is celebrated at the 7:00 PM service.  Finally at 9:00 AM, Christmas Morning, we celebrate the Nativity of our Lord with Divine Service.

Mark 16:1-8

16 When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. ² And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. ³ And they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?”⁴ And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back—it was very large. ⁵ And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. ⁶ And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. ⁷ But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.” ⁸ And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

Introduction to Refresh & Renew

This year Redeemer is focusing on Martin Luther’s Catechisms for Lent.  Each day a new devotion will be published with the assigned reading from the Small Catechism.  Additional readings form the Large Catechism highlighting one part of the day’s topic will be included.  You may desire to read one part of this devotion in the morning and the other part in the evening.  Readings are hyperlinked to source sites for convenience.

Order for Devotion

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

Pray: Psalm 16:1-11

Reading for Holy Saturday

Matthew 27:57–66
57When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who also was a disciple of Jesus. 58He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. 59And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud 60and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut in the rock. And he rolled a great stone to the entrance of the tomb and went away. 61Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb.

62Next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate 63and said, “Sir, we remember how that impostor said, while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will rise.’ 64Therefore order the tomb to be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples go and steal him away and tell the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last fraud will be worse than the first.” 65Pilate said to them, “You have a guard of soldiers. Go, make it as secure as you can.” 66So they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard.

Morning Small Catechism Reading – Confession

Evening Preparation for Confession

After reflecting on the Commandments confess your sins to God in prayer and pray the Lord’s Prayer asking Him to forgiven your trespasses.  Attend the Divine Service on Sunday, confess your sins, and receive Christ’s Holy Absolution knowing that He is rich in mercy to poor sinners for whom He died upon a cross and rose again that they may be forgiven and have eternal life.

1. You Shall Have No Other Gods. – What or whom do I fear the most? – What or whom do I trust most for financial security, physical safety, or emotional support? – Do I fear God’s wrath and therefore avoid sin? – Is my love for God evident in my daily life? – Do expect only good things from God or do I doubt, worry, complain, and feel unfairly treated when things go wrong?
2. You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God. – Does the good news of Jesus’ forgiveness adorn my speech, or do I curse, speak carelessly, or misuse God’s name? – Have I kept any promises I have made in God’s name?  – Am I diligent in prayer?  – Do I call upon God in all times of trouble? – Do I forget to pray when things are well?
3. Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. – Do I despise the Word by not paying attention when it is read to me or when I hear it preached? – Do I attend the Divine Service as often as I can or do I excuse myself from regular worship? – Do I prefer to be elsewhere then at worship with the church?
4. Honor your father and mother. – Do I submit to the authorities God has put over me? – Have I been disrespectful to my parents, teachers, employer, or other authorities? – Have I failed to thank God for those authorities who protect me? – Do I obey the laws of my nation and pay my rightful share of all taxes?
5. You shall not murder. – Have I unjustly taken the life of someone, born or unborn? – Do I hate anyone, or am I angry with anyone? – Am I hold a grudge, unwilling to forgiven, or otherwise harboring resentment towards anyone? – Am I abusive in word or deed toward others, my spouse, or my children?  – Have I been callous to those in genuine need?
6. You shall not commit adultery. – Have I held in highest regard God’s gift of sexuality or have I debased it with any thought, word, or deed? – Am I guilty of lust, indecency, or the use of pornography? – Have I reserved my sexual activity for the pleasure and consolation of my spouse, and when God wills, the procreation of children?
7. You shall not steal. – Have I gotten anything dishonestly? – Have I made illegal copies of copyrighted materials such as music, computer software, or videos? – Do I faithfully attend to my vocations or have I been lazy and not done my best work for my employer? – Do I take care of what I have and do I return what I borrow? – Do I give generously or am I selfish and stingy?
8. You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. – Do I speak truthfully? – Do I gossip or take pleasure in talking about the faults of others? – Do I defend the reputation of others, even my enemies when they are being slandered? – Have I judged those I am not authorized to judge? – Have I explained in the best way the actions of others?
9. You shall not covet your neighbors house. – Do my desires for things consume my thoughts?  – Do I resent or envy others who have things that I do not have? – Do I neglect giving to the mission of my church in the pursuit of entertainment, pleasure, and property? –  Do I neglect my family and other relationships as a result of promotion in my career or in the pursuit of wealth? – Do my wants prevent me from being happy and thankful for what God has given me?
10. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor. – Am I discontented with the spouse that God has given me? – Am I discontented with the job that provides my income or with the employees I supervise? – Have I neglected to urge someone to be faithful to their spouse? – Have I wanted my neighbors husband or wife, boyfriend or girlfriend, workers or property to be mine?

Lord’s Prayer

Prayers for Others and Ourselves

Closing Prayer – Morning

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.

Then go joyfully to your work, singing a hymn, like that of the Ten Commandments, or whatever your devotion may suggest.

Closing Prayer – Evening

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.

Then go to sleep at once and in good cheer.

Introduction to Refresh & Renew

This year Redeemer is focusing on Martin Luther’s Catechisms for Lent.  Each day a new devotion will be published with the assigned reading from the Small Catechism.  Additional readings form the Large Catechism highlighting one part of the day’s topic will be included.  You may desire to read one part of this devotion in the morning and the other part in the evening.  Readings are hyperlinked to source sites for convenience.

Order for Devotion

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

Pray: Psalm 22

Reading for Good Friday

John 18:16b-30

So they took Jesus, 17and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called the place of a skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha. 18There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, and Jesus between them. 19Pilate also wrote an inscription and put it on the cross. It read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” 20Many of the Jews read this inscription, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and it was written in Aramaic, in Latin, and in Greek. 21So the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but rather, ‘This man said, I am King of the Jews.’” 22Pilate answered, “What I have written I have written.”
23When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his garments and divided them into four parts, one part for each soldier; also his tunic. But the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom, 24so they said to one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it shall be.” This was to fulfill the Scripture which says,

“They divided my garments among them,
and for my clothing they cast lots.”

So the soldiers did these things, 25but standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” 27Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.

28After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.” 29A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. 30When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

Morning Small Catechism Reading – The Sacrament of the Altar

Evening Large Catechism Reading (Part 5, 76-87) – The Sacrament of the Altar

Lord’s Prayer

Prayers for Others and Ourselves

Closing Prayer – Morning

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.

Then go joyfully to your work, singing a hymn, like that of the Ten Commandments, or whatever your devotion may suggest.

Closing Prayer – Evening

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.

Then go to sleep at once and in good cheer.

Introduction to Refresh & Renew

This year Redeemer is focusing on Martin Luther’s Catechisms for Lent.  Each day a new devotion will be published with the assigned reading from the Small Catechism.  Additional readings form the Large Catechism highlighting one part of the day’s topic will be included.  You may desire to read one part of this devotion in the morning and the other part in the evening.  Readings are hyperlinked to source sites for convenience.

Order for Devotion

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

Pray: Psalm 116:12-19

Reading for Holy Thursday

1 Corinthians 10:16–17
16The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? 17Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.

Morning Small Catechism Reading – Holy Baptism

Evening Large Catechism Reading (Part 4, 64-86) – Holy Baptism

Lord’s Prayer

Prayers for Others and Ourselves

Closing Prayer – Morning

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.

Then go joyfully to your work, singing a hymn, like that of the Ten Commandments, or whatever your devotion may suggest.

Closing Prayer – Evening

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.

Then go to sleep at once and in good cheer.

Introduction to Refresh & Renew

This year Redeemer is focusing on Martin Luther’s Catechisms for Lent.  Each day a new devotion will be published with the assigned reading from the Small Catechism.  Additional readings form the Large Catechism highlighting one part of the day’s topic will be included.  You may desire to read one part of this devotion in the morning and the other part in the evening.  Readings are hyperlinked to source sites for convenience.

Order for Devotion

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

Pray: Psalm 70:1-5

Passage for Holy Wednesday

Romans 5:6–11
6For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. 11More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

Morning Small Catechism Reading – The Lord’s Prayer

Evening Large Catechism Reading (Part 3, 112-124) – The Lord’s Prayer Seventh Petition

Lord’s Prayer

Prayers for Others and Ourselves

Closing Prayer – Morning

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.

Then go joyfully to your work, singing a hymn, like that of the Ten Commandments, or whatever your devotion may suggest.

Closing Prayer – Evening

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.

Then go to sleep at once and in good cheer.

Introduction to Refresh & Renew

This year Redeemer is focusing on Martin Luther’s Catechisms for Lent.  Each day a new devotion will be published with the assigned reading from the Small Catechism.  Additional readings form the Large Catechism highlighting one part of the day’s topic will be included.  You may desire to read one part of this devotion in the morning and the other part in the evening.  Readings are hyperlinked to source sites for convenience.

Order for Devotion

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

Pray:  Psalm 71:1-14

Read the Lesson for Holy Tuesday

1 Corinthians 1:18–25
18For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19For it is written,
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”
20Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. 22For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

Small Catechism Reading – The Apostles Creed

Lord’s Prayer

Prayers for Others and Ourselves

Closing Prayer – Morning

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.

Then go joyfully to your work, singing a hymn, like that of the Ten Commandments, or whatever your devotion may suggest.

Closing Prayer – Evening

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.

Then go to sleep at once and in good cheer.