Prayers of the Church, Palm Sunday/Sunday of the Passion (April 5, 2020)

Let us pray for the Church, the world, and all people according to their need.

A brief silence

Lord Jesus, by your Cross and precious Blood you have redeemed the whole world and drawn all people to yourself. We praise and adore you for your great sacrifice and love. We beseech you to bestow these holy gifts to all whom we lift before you now in prayer.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Lord Jesus, by your Cross and precious Blood, save and redeem your Church. Through its ministry of Word, Sacrament, fellowship and service, draw all people to yourself.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

 

Lord Jesus, by your Cross and precious Blood, save and redeem those who suffer for the sake of your name, and those who risk danger to proclaim the Gospel to those who do not know you. By their faithful witness, draw all people to yourself.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

 

Lord Jesus, by your Cross and precious Blood, save and redeem all who seek to walk the hard path of discipleship. Through their willingness to take up their cross and follow you, draw all people to yourself.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

 

Lord Jesus, by your Cross and precious Blood, save and redeem this congregation, especially those seeking baptism. Through our faith toward you, and fervent love for one another, draw all people to yourself.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Lord Jesus, by your Cross and precious Blood, save and redeem our children, especially those enduring illness, poverty, abuse or violence. Through their innocent praise of your goodness, draw all people to yourself.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

 

Lord Jesus, by your Cross and precious Blood, save and redeem the people in every land and nation. By the guidance of the Holy Spirit, establish your peace in every place; and draw all people to yourself.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

 

Lord Jesus, by your Cross and precious Blood, save and redeem those who stand in harm’s way on our behalf. By their labors, establish places of safety and calm; and there draw all people to yourself.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Lord Jesus, by your Cross and precious Blood, save and redeem all who walk through the dark valleys of suffering, sorrow, and death. Use the witness of their faithful waiting, and their blessed healing, to draw all people to yourself.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Lord Jesus, by your Cross and precious Blood, you have saved and redeemed those who have died trusting your promises. Now keep us steadfast in faith, patient in suffering, generous in service, and loving in fellowship, until you have drawn all people to yourself; and have bestowed upon all the redeemed the fullness of your forgiveness, blessing, and eternal life.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Hear and graciously answer our prayers, O blessed Savior, according to the mercy and favor you have for your people. Amen.

Prayers of the Church, 5^th Sunday in Lent (March 29, 2020)

Let us lift our hearts and voices to the Lord in prayer, that he would be merciful to his people.

A brief silence

Blessed Lord, we live in a valley of deathly shadows. Thank you for Jesus, who calls us by name from our tombs. Help us to firmly believe that his is our Resurrection and our Life.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Send your Holy Spirit to breathe new life into your Church. Raise it up to be the living body of your dear Son in the world. Purify and bless it, so that through Word and Sacrament, and by deeds of mercy and forgiveness, it may share your life and grace with all who are held captive to sin, evil and death.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

 

Breathe your Holy Spirit upon your persecuted servants throughout the world. Revive their faith and knit them into an undying fellowship with Jesus and with one another. By their courageous witness and their patient suffering, glorify your Name and turn many hearts to repentant faith.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

 

Breathe your creative Spirit into all missionaries of the Gospel, and into everyone joins Jesus on his mission. By their faithful preaching and acts of charity, grant life and salvation to those who walk in the valley of the shadow of death.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

 

Breathe your gracious Spirit into this congregation, so that our worship, words, deliberations and deeds abound with the fruits of that Spirit. Fill us with the life of Jesus, and give us the will and the strength to share his life with everyone we meet.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Breathe your life-giving Spirit upon all to whom death draws near. Grant them serenity, faith, and reconciliation with you and their loved ones. Especially we plead on behalf of those who die alone, abandoned, unloved or unnoticed. Bless them with the mercy and grace promised by your Son to any who will receive him. And give a double portion of your Spirit to hospice workers and to all who care for the dying.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

 

Breathe your Holy Spirit into all who lead the nations, especially our own. Fill them with wisdom and understanding; counsel and might; knowledge and fear of you, their Lord; and joy in doing your will. Help them work for the welfare of their people. Breathe your gracious Spirit into every heart, so that hatred, violence, cruelty and war ceases throughout the world.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

 

Breathe your Spirit into all who risk their lives to defend liberty and protect others. Keep them faithful, true and bold. Shield and direct them in perilous situations; raise and heal them when they fall; and deliver them into a place of safety when their task has ended.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Breathe your Spirit of life and grace into all who all who are afflicted by sickness, sorrow or adversity – especially: {List}. As Jesus raised up Lazarus from death, we beseech you, raise up these dear ones from the power of sin, evil and death; and restore them to their loved ones.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Most holy and gracious Father, we thank you that you have called your faithful servants by name, out of death and into life in Christ. Breathe your Holy and life-giving Spirit into us, for we are still troubled by the powers of death, sin, and the devil. Give us the grace to comfort one another in times of sorrow, and to encourage and help each other along life’s road. Grant us faith to confess your Son as the Resurrection and the Life, the Christ, the One who has come into the world to bring eternal life to everyone who believes in him.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Into your hands, gracious Father, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in your mercy; for the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

“For indeed man was not created for the woman’s sake, but woman for the
man’s sake. Therefore the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her
head, because of the angels” (1 Corinthians 11:9-10).

All were created for the Lord’s
sake. We love to think more highly of ourselves that we ought. I am not arguing
sexism here, but humility; and so is Paul. He is speaking first century and I
am speaking twenty-first century. Things have not changed and the pride that
needs to be slain was as real then as it is now: different on the outside, but the
same on the inside. Listen to the Lord.

Lord, You know where the rebellious heart is deceiving my spirit. Help me first to see where I need to repent, then lead me in repentance that I would not argue as the world argues, but would submit to those circumstances You know will lead me to become like Christ. Help me now and always to be willing to listen, learn, and then obey all that You command knowing this is the true way to live.

Lord Jesus, You have taught us not to continue the rebellion, but to live humble lives that learn to obey all that You command. Guide me, O Lord, in the way of truth that I may now and always live into a life that obeys all that the Father wills for my life. Help me by overcoming my pride and do not let me stumble even in the small things that will get in the way that I may truly abide in You. Amen

“For a man ought not to have his head covered, since he is the image
and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man. For man does not originate
from woman, but woman from man” (1 Corinthians 11:7-8).

What is the order of things? One
of the difficulties we have is when our culture combats what the Lord has done.
We want it to be another way. The point is to not argue gender, but order. The
question is, how do we live out God’s order even when it contradicts the
world’s order? Live in equality, but with God’s order in mind. Live into the
life which the Lord gives according to His created order.

Lord, I confess that I am conflicted because I know what this world
says. Guide me, Lord, that I may live into the life to which You have called
me. Guide me according to Your purposes to see more clearly how You have
ordered things. Lead me to be content with whom You have made me to be that I
may live boldly with who I am and who You have and are making me to be.

Lord Jesus, You have taught us to be submissive to the will of the Father. This world wants to argue every point. Lead me, O Lord, in the way of truth that I may live according to the Father’s will. Help me when I am confronted with the world’s way of looking at things that I would be one who submits to the Father’s will as the final authority. In all things, grant me grace so that I am not conformed to this world but transformed by the renewing of my mind. Amen.

Dear Friends in Christ –

Among Lutheran CORE’s greatest concerns have been the
following –

How can we help raise up a whole new generation of
Lutheran pastors who will be Biblical and confessional in their theology and
who will be committed to fulfill the Great Commission to make disciples for
Jesus Christ?

What can we do to reach young people for Jesus?  How can we present the Gospel of Jesus to
them in a clear, compelling, and engaging way? 
How can we help them feel and be connected to the church?

Because of these concerns, we are very grateful for
the opportunity to sponsor a week of NEXUS for high schoolers at Grand View
University in Des Moines, Iowa.

Originally funded by a substantial Lilly Endowment
Grant, NEXUS is designed to give high school students a chance to engage in the
study of the Bible and Lutheran theology, be involved in service, and discern
whether God has gifted them and is calling them to full-time Christian ministry
and/or leadership in the church.  In the
past three years, over one hundred high schoolers have gone through NEXUS.  Grand View has found that after a week of
NEXUS, students grow significantly in their understanding of Scripture,
Lutheran theology, faith practices, and the doctrine of vocation.  In addition, many college-aged mentors who
have participated in the program have gone on to seminary and/or full-time
church work. 

There is no charge for high schoolers to attend NEXUS,
and Grand View wants to keep it that way. 
The original grant from Lilly Endowment will have been spent by the end
of this coming summer, so Grand View has approached Lutheran CORE and other
ministries about sponsoring a week of NEXUS. 
The board of Lutheran CORE has long recognized that many of the Lutheran
ministries that used to engage young people with a high view of the authority
of the Bible and the challenge to consider a career in Christian ministry no
longer exist or no longer function in that way, so the board immediately
responded positively to the invitation and request.

The cost to host one week of NEXUS for twenty-four
high school students, which includes college-aged mentors, teachers,
activities, room and board, and materials, is $30,000.  Lutheran CORE has committed half of the
amount for one week – $15,000.  The funds
from Lutheran CORE will be matched by Lilly Endowment to cover a full week’s
cost of $30,000. 

Because the original grant from Lilly Endowment will
cover the costs for the two weeks of NEXUS during the summer of 2020, the funds
from Lutheran CORE will be used for a week during the summer of 2021.  However, we do not want to wait until next
year to be involved.  My plan is to
attend at least a significant part of the week of NEXUS this year that will be
sponsored by the NALC (North American Lutheran Church) – July 12-17 – to
further observe the program and to get to know, listen to, learn from, and
share with the young people who are there about such things as these –

What
are they thinking about, running into, and dealing with in their lives?

What
are the questions that they are asking and facing?

What
hopes do they have for the church and for their own lives?

What
is stirring them?

Sharing
in that interaction and experiencing a week of NEXUS will help us know how best
to put a “Lutheran CORE imprint” upon a week of NEXUS in 2021.

My
purpose for writing is to let you know about this additional ministry that we
are pursuing.  In his first letter to his
young friend Timothy, the apostle Paul wrote, “The Spirit expressly says that
in later times some will renounce the faith.” 
(1 Timothy 4: 1)  Part of our work
as Lutheran CORE is to alert people to ways in which the orthodox Christian
faith is being renounced by many – unfortunately even in the church.  We also want to be there for people and
congregations when they do become aware of this great tragedy.  In his second letter Paul wrote, “What you
have heard from me through many witnesses entrust to faithful people who will
be able to teach others as well.”  (2
Timothy 2: 2)  It is absolutely
imperative that the Christian faith be passed on from one generation to the
next.  We do not want to be the
generation that drops the ball.

Please consider giving a gift to Lutheran CORE – over and above your current giving – to help fund the commitment that we have made to provide $15,000 for one week of high school NEXUS.  You may donate online or use the response form that you will find below and/or you may designate NEXUS on the memo line on your check.  We are very grateful for the faithful generosity of our friends, which will enable us to help support this fine ministry, in addition to all of the other ways in which we seek to be a Voice for Biblical Truth and a Network for Confessing Lutherans.

Blessings
in Christ,

Dennis
D. Nelson

Executive
Director of Lutheran CORE

Visit
our website www.lutherancore.org

Follow
us on Twitter @LutheranCORE

Like
us on Facebook www.facebook.com/LutheranCORE

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For easy access, the Response Form also appears below:

LUTHERAN
CORE

A
Voice and Network for Confessing Lutherans

NEXUS

A week for high schoolers

of study in the Scriptures and Lutheran theology, involvement in ministry,

and discernment of call to full-time Christian service  

Please find enclosed my gift (make check payable to
“Lutheran CORE” and designate “NEXUS” on the memo line)

Please use my gift to help fund one week of NEXUS for
high school students

__________ Amount

Name ______________________________________________

Address ____________________________________________

             
____________________________________________

Phone number _______________________________________

Email address ________________________________________

Prayer request
________________________________________

                       
________________________________________

                       
________________________________________

If you prefer, you can give online by going to the Give
page on our website – https://www.lutherancore.website/give/

2 Timothy 2: 2 – “What you have heard from me through
many witnesses entrust to faithful people who will be able to teach others as
well.”

1
Timothy 4: 12 – “Let no one think less of you because you are young; rather set
the believers an example.”

“But every woman who has her head uncovered while praying or
prophesying disgraces her head, for she is one and the same as the woman whose
head is shaved. For if a woman does not cover her head, let her also have her
hair cut off; but if it is disgraceful for a woman to have her hair cut off or
her head shaved, let her cover her head” (1 Corinthians 11:5-6).

Perhaps for the first time in
two thousand years, these verses make more sense. Men, be men and women, be
women. Just that. Be whom the Lord created you to be. We live in a world that
is constantly arguing over our own identity. Be whom the Lord has made you to
be and become what the Lord is making you to be. Live into your identity as a
child of God and trust what he has created.

Lord, the world is constantly mixing things up and telling me things
that make no sense. Help me to keep simple things simple and live into the life
to which You have called me. Guide me according to Your goodness that I may now
and always walk with You in the way You have established. Let me not be
confused by this world’s sinful insanity which does nothing but destroy what
You have made.

Lord Jesus, You have come into
this world to lead those who will follow into a life that sees the light of
truth. Help me follow You that I would see through the obfuscation of this age
and know that You are preparing me for eternity. Guide me O Lord in the way of
truth that I may now and always follow You. You have the words of eternal life.
Where else can we go in this mixed up world? Amen.

“But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and
the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ. Every man who
has something on his head while praying or prophesying disgraces his head” (1
Corinthians 11:3-4).

We have just gone through
several verses that speak of the freedom in Christ and the need to put on
Christ who, although God, put on humanity for our sake. If we are imitators of
Christ, then we do what we do for the sake of others. Here, Paul speaks of what
is good order for the time and place in which we find ourselves. This is not a
law, but a principle. How are you Christ to others?

Lord, help me to not make legalistic laws out of every little thing I
read, but see the principle and by Your insight, apply it to my circumstances. Guide
me, O Lord, in the way You would have me go knowing that I do not always know
how to do these things. You have created the order of things, so help me apply
Your order that I may live fully in You and according to Your Word.

Holy Spirit, guide me with
discernment that I may live in good order. Teach me what I need to know that I
may understand more fully the truth of creation. Let me not make laws where
there need not be any laws, but also help me to live into the good order of
Your creation. Grant me wisdom that I may see clearly the line between these
things and live in a way that is pleasing to the Father. Amen.

“Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ. Now I praise you
because you remember me in everything and hold firmly to the traditions, just
as I delivered them to you” (1 Corinthians 11:1-2).

What we will be we do not know says Saint John, but this we know, we will be like Christ. How then do we pursue this? Is it not to imitate Christ-like behavior? This is what Paul is telling us. Imitate Christ-like behavior and soon you will become one who behaves that way. Put on Christ and soon others will see Christ in you. This is how we live into that to which we have been called.

Lord, I want to figure everything out before I move forward. You have
given me faith that I may move forward. Remove from me the hesitation that I
may move without thinking all of these things through, for how can I know what
it is to become like Christ unless I move in the direction of imitating what
You show me to be Christ-like behavior. Move me, Lord, that I may move as You
direct.

Lord Jesus, You have come as a
model of the godly life. You are not there just to be viewed, but to be
emulated. Help me Lord to abide in You and You in me that I may become as You are.
Today and each day You give me in this age, guide me to see that in You is the
hope which I seek. Lead me through all of the illusions of this age to live
into that which is everlasting through You. Amen.

“Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the
glory of God.  Give no offense either to
Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God; just as I also please all men in all
things, not seeking my own profit but the profit of the many, so that they may
be saved” (1 Corinthians 10:31-33).

Although the truth of eternity
has been revealed to you by grace, this gains you nothing of itself. The Lord
who knows has called you. Do not think you’re either superior or inferior, but
only as one called by the Lord. Do not seek for your sake, for all you need is
already provided, but for the sake of others, for the Father desires that none
should perish and You have your part in sharing the truth with others.

Lord, help me to see that I am in the midst of the drama of this age. I can neither hide from what is around me, nor excuse myself from it that I might not be bothered. In Your providence, lead me to live according to Your will that I may profit by the goodness of grace which You have freely given. Help me to please others for Your sake alone that I may fulfill Your will on earth, as it shall be done in heaven.

Come, Holy Spirit, and lead me in
the way I need to go this day. Help me to spend less time trying to figure
things out and more time doing what is pleasing in the Father’s sight. Guide me
according to Your will to be pliable in Your hands and resilient in action. Lead
me as You know I need to be led that I would willingly do all I am able for the
sake of Your everlasting kingdom. Amen.

“I mean not your own conscience, but the other man’s; for why is my
freedom judged by another’s conscience? If I partake with thankfulness, why am
I slandered concerning that for which I give thanks?” (1 Corinthians 10:29-30).

There is freedom in Christ that
this world constantly tries to convince us is not there. We do what we do for
the sake of Christ who did all that was needed for our sake. Do not fall back
into trying to please others, yet always remain sensitive to the other’s need. For
their sake do these things knowing that Christ for your sake did all that was
needed that you might be with Him forever.

Lord, teach me these things that I will not once again make a law where
there is freedom. Let only the law of Your love be that which guides me in all
things. Help me to grow in wisdom that I may more fully understand these things
knowing that You have already accomplished salvation for all those who believe.
Guide me to live by the wisdom You give that I may live into the life to which
You call me.

Lord Jesus, without Your grace
nothing good is possible. In Your grace, You have freed me to become whom You
are creating me to be. Guide me, O Lord, in the way of wisdom that I may walk
boldly, yet sensitively, caring for others as You lead me to care. Through all
things help me to understand the difference and do things in freedom and not
under compulsion for Your sake. Amen.