Prepare for The Sunday on the Mount of Olives (11/10)

Nov 6

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Within the liturgy for each Lord’s day, we receive the Word of God through uniquely appointed readings, psalms, hymns, and prayers. For October and November, we will be using Divine Service Setting Five from Lutheran Service Book when we receive the Lord’s Supper. This setting is based on Luther’s German Mass (1526), which uses classic Lutheran hymns in place of the canticles. Luther composed or revised Latin hymns for each part of the Ordinary, the pillars of the Divine Service that we ordinarily use every week. These include hymns for the Kyrie Eleison, Gloria in Excelsis, Creed, Sanctus, and Agnus Dei. Listen to these hymns here to prepare for Sunday.

FAITH COMES BY HEARING THE WORD OF CHRIST

“The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed” (Luke 17:20). You must use your ears and not your eyes. For God’s kingdom in this world is one of faith, and faith comes by hearing the Word of Christ. The people of Israel, however, wanted to walk not by faith but by sight. When Moses delayed in coming down the mountain, they decided to make a visible god for themselves, the golden calf (Ex. 32:1). Upon such faithless and false worshipers, God’s judgment comes. Only on the Last Day will our faith be turned to sight. “For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man” (Matt. 24:27). The Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, and He will gather His people to Himself, both the living and the dead. In a world in which our days are few and full of trouble (Job 14:1), let us comfort one another with these words of the resurrection and the coming of our Lord Jesus.

Collect of the Day: Almighty God, we implore You, show Your mercy to Your humble servants that we, who put no trust in our own merits, may not be dealt with after the severity of Your judgment but according to Your mercy; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.