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FROM LUTHER’S PRAYERS: SEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER

O God and Father, give us graciously what belongs to the body and PENTECOST
its life. O Son of God, free us from sin and mercifully grant us
your spirit. O God the Holy Spirit, heal, comfort, and make us
strong against the devil, and finally give us the victory and the
resurrection from the dead. Amen.

FROM LUTHER’S SMALL CATECHISM:


The Lord’s Prayer:

And deliver us from evil.

What is this?

We ask in this prayer, as in a summary, that our Father in


heaven may deliver us from all kinds of evil-affecting body or
soul, property or reputation-and at last, when our final hour comes,
may grant us a blessed end and take us by grace from this valley of
tears to himself in heaven.

O God, you see how busy we are with many things. Turn us
to listen to your teachings, and lead us to choose the one
thing which will not be taken from us, Jesus Christ our Lord.
GOSPEL: Mark 6:30-34, 53-56 household of God, 20 built upon the foundation of the apostles
and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone.
The apostles gathered around Jesus, and told him all that 21 In him the whole structure is joined together and grows into
they had done and taught. 31 He said to them, “Come away to a a holy temple in the Lord; 22 in whom you also are built
deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.” For many were together spiritually into a dwelling place for God.
coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. 32 And they
went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves. 33 Now WHAT DOES THIS MEAN ?
many saw them going and recognized them, and they hurried there
on foot from all the towns and arrived ahead of them. 34 As he went That they shall be one.
John xvii. 21.
ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them,
because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to For everyone who believes through the words of the Apostles,
teach them many things. the promise is given for Christ’s sake and by the power of this
53 When they had crossed over, they came to land at prayer, that he shall be one body and one loaf with all
Gennesaret and moored the boat. 54 When they got out of the boat, Christians; that what happens to him as a member for good or
people at once recognized him, 55 and rushed about the whole ill, shall happen to the whole body for good or ill, and not
region and began to bring the sick on mats to wherever they heard only one or two saints, but all the prophets, martyrs, apostles,
he was. 56 And wherever he went, into villages or cities or farms, all Christians, both on earth and with God in Heaven, shall
they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged him that they suffer and conquer with him, shall fight for him, help, protect,
might touch even the fringe of his cloak; and all who touched it and save him, and shall undertake for him such a gracious
were healed. exchange that they will all bear his sufferings, want, and
afflictions and he partake of all their blessings, comfort, and
Second Reading: Ephesians 2:11-22 joy.
Remember that one time you Gentiles by birth, called “the How could a man wish for anything more blessed than
uncircumcision” by those who are called “the circumcision”— to come into this fellowship or brotherhood and be made
a physical circumcision made in the flesh by human hands— member of this body, which is called Christendom? For who
12 remember that you were at that time without Christ, being aliens
can harm or injure a man who has this confidence, who knows
from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants that heaven and earth, and all the angels and the saints will cry
of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But to God when the smallest suffering befalls him? If a sin
now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought attacks him to frighten, bite, and oppress his conscience,
near by the blood of Christ. 14 For he is our peace, in his flesh he threatening him with the devil, death, and hell, god speaks
has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing with the great company of heaven: ‘Sin, leave him to Me
wall, that is, the hostility between us. 15 He has abolished the law unmolested! Hell, leave him endeavored; Death, leave him
with its commandments and ordinances, that he might create in unslain; But this cannot be done without faith, because to the
himself one new humanity in the place of two, thus making peace, eyes of the world and of reason the opposite appears to
16 and might reconcile both groups to God in one body through the
happen.
cross, thus putting to death that hostility through it. 17 So he came Sermon on John xvi-xx, 1528. W.A. 28. 182.
and proclaimed peace to you who were far off and peace to those
who were near; 18 for through him both of us have access on one Taken from the book: Day by Day We Magnify Thee
Spirit to the Father. 19 So then you are no longer strangers and by Martin Luther Page 353
aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the

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