Daily Readings:
Saints/Heroes/Feasts/Fasts to be commemmorated/celebrated: First Day of Advent
Isaac Watts, hymnwriter, 1748 (Commemoration) W - ELCA
Isaac Watts (17 July 1674 - 25 November 1748), is recognised as the "Father of English Hymnody", as he was the first prolific and popular English hymnwriter, credited with some 750 hymns. Many of his hymns remain in active use today and have been translated into many languages
Scriptural Readings:
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Psalm 122
Psalm 122
1I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord!”
2Our feet are standing within your gates, O Jerusalem.
3Jerusalem—built as a city that is bound firmly together.
4To it the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord, as was decreed for Israel, to give thanks to the name of the Lord.
5For there the thrones for judgment were set up, the thrones of the house of David.
6Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May they prosper who love you.
7Peace be within your walls, and security within your towers.”
8For the sake of my relatives and friends I will say, “Peace be within you.”
9For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek your good.
Daniel 9:15-19
Daniel 9:15-1915“And now, O Lord our God, who brought your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand and made your name renowned even to this day—we have sinned, we have done wickedly. 16O Lord, in view of all your righteous acts, let your anger and wrath, we pray, turn away from your city Jerusalem, your holy mountain; because of our sins and the iniquities of our ancestors, Jerusalem and your people have become a disgrace among all our neighbors. 17Now therefore, O our God, listen to the prayer of your servant and to his supplication, and for your own sake, Lord, let your face shine upon your desolated sanctuary. 18Incline your ear, O my God, and hear. Open your eyes and look at our desolation and the city that bears your name. We do not present our supplication before you on the ground of our righteousness, but on the ground of your great mercies. 19O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, listen and act and do not delay! For your own sake, O my God, because your city and your people bear your name!”
James 4:1-10
James 4:1-10
4Those conflicts and disputes among you, where do they come from? Do they not come from your cravings that are at war within you? 2You want something and do not have it; so you commit murder. And you covet something and cannot obtain it; so you engage in disputes and conflicts. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, in order to spend what you get on your pleasures. 4Adulterers! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. 5Or do you suppose that it is for nothing that the scripture says, “God yearns jealously for the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? 6But he gives all the more grace; therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” 7Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9Lament and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy into dejection. 10Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.
Alternate Daily Readings:
November 25th, 2010
[-] [+] Thursday of Last Sunday
Read today's Higher Things Daily Reflection
November 25, 2010 - Thursday of the Last Week
Daily Lectionary: Daniel 5:1-30; Revelation 21:9-27
“And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there.” (Revelation 21:23-25)
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Imagine a world without a sun. There would not be a sun to rise in the morning and slowly warm the day. No warmness to bask in. No sunshine on your shoulder to make you happy. No sunglasses! A world without a sun does not sound like a great idea.
Imagine a world without a moon. No soft glow of light as you walk at night. There would be nothing for the dogs that are out at night to bark at. No marvelous night for a moon dance. No moonwalk! A world without a moon does not sound like a great idea, either.
Sure, we’d maybe still have electricity and lights and maybe even fire, but a world without a sun or a moon seems like a dark and dreary place. Who would want to live in a place like that?
Well, St. John seems to enjoy the idea. When St. John was exiled on the island of Patmos, he received the revelation of Jesus Christ. Part of that revelation was a glimpse of heaven, and in that vision St. John saw a place without a sun or a moon.
Why no sun or moon? Because there was no need of it, “for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb.” We won’t need a sun or moon in heaven, and we won’t even miss it. We will be in the presence of the Lamb of God that came to take away the sins of the world.
You are a sinner. You know that; you’ve read the 10 Commandments. But you are going to be raised up on the Last Day and live in the light of Christ forever. That Lamb of God, Jesus Christ our Lord, has shed His blood for you. You simply get to bask in His light.
In heaven there won’t be a sun or a moon. With the light of Christ, we won’t need them or anything else. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.
“Arise, O true disciples; Let wrong give way to right, And penitential shadow To Jesus’ blessed light: The light that has no evening, That knows no moon or sun, The light so new and golden, The light that is but one.” (LSB 513:2)
Collect
O Lord, absolve Your people from their offenses that, from the bonds of our sins which by reason of our frailty we have brought upon ourselves, we may be delivered by Your bountiful goodness; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit , one God, now and forever. Amen.
First Reading: Dan. 5:1-30
The Handwriting on the Wall
1(A) King Belshazzar(B) made a great feast for a thousand of his(C) lords and drank wine in front of the thousand.
2(D) Belshazzar, when he tasted the wine, commanded that(E) the vessels of gold and of silver that Nebuchadnezzar his father[a] had taken out of the temple in Jerusalem be brought, that the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines might drink from them. 3Then they brought in(F) the golden vessels that had been taken out of the temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines drank from them. 4They drank wine and(G) praised the(H) gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.
5(I) Immediately(J) the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace, opposite the lampstand. And the king saw(K) the hand as it wrote. 6(L) Then the king’s color changed,(M) and his thoughts alarmed him;(N) his limbs gave way, and(O) his knees knocked together. 7(P) The king called loudly to bring in(Q) the enchanters, the(R) Chaldeans, and(S) the astrologers. The king declared[b] to the wise men of Babylon,(T) "Whoever reads this writing, and shows me its interpretation, shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around his neck and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom." 8Then all the king’s wise men came in, but(U) they could not read the writing or make known to the king the interpretation. 9Then King Belshazzar was greatly(V) alarmed, and his(W) color changed, and his(X) lords were perplexed.
10The queen,[c] because of the words of the king and his lords, came into the banqueting hall, and the queen declared,(Y) "O king, live forever! Let not your thoughts alarm you(Z) or your color change. 11There is a man in your kingdom(AA) in whom is the spirit of the holy gods.[d] In the days of your father,(AB) light and understanding and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods were found in him, and King Nebuchadnezzar, your father—your father the king—(AC) made him chief of the magicians,(AD) enchanters, Chaldeans, and astrologers, 12(AE) because an excellent spirit, knowledge, and(AF) understanding(AG) to interpret dreams, explain riddles, and(AH) solve problems were found in this Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar. Now let Daniel be called, and he will show the interpretation."
Daniel Interprets the Handwriting
13Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king answered and said to Daniel, "You are that Daniel, one of(AI) the exiles of Judah, whom the king my father brought from Judah. 14I have heard of you that(AJ) the spirit of the gods[e] is in you, and that(AK) light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in you. 15Now(AL) the wise men, the(AM) enchanters, have been brought in before me to read this writing and make known to me its interpretation, but(AN) they could not show the interpretation of the matter. 16(AO) But I have heard that you can give interpretations and(AP) solve problems.(AQ) Now if you can read the writing and make known to me its interpretation,(AR) you shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around your neck and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom."
17Then Daniel answered and said before the king,(AS) "Let your gifts be for yourself, and give your rewards to another. Nevertheless, I will read the writing to the king and make known to him the interpretation. 18O king, the(AT) Most High God(AU) gave(AV) Nebuchadnezzar your father(AW) kingship and greatness and glory and majesty. 19And because of the greatness that he gave him,(AX) all peoples, nations, and languages(AY) trembled and feared before him. Whom he would, he killed, and whom he would, he kept alive; whom he would, he raised up, and whom he would, he humbled. 20But(AZ) when his heart was lifted up and his spirit was hardened so that he dealt proudly,(BA) he was brought down from his kingly throne, and his glory was taken from him. 21(BB) He was driven from among the children of mankind, and his mind was made like that of a beast, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. He was fed grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven,(BC) until he knew that the Most High God rules the kingdom of mankind and sets over it whom he will. 22And you his son,[f](BD) Belshazzar,(BE) have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this, 23but you have lifted up yourself against(BF) the Lord of heaven. And(BG) the vessels of his house have been brought in before you, and you and your lords, your wives, and your concubines have drunk wine from them.(BH) And you have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see or hear or know,(BI) but the God in whose hand is your breath, and(BJ) whose are all your ways,(BK) you have not honored.
24"Then from his presence(BL) the hand was sent, and this writing was inscribed. 25And this is the writing that was inscribed: Mene, Mene, Tekel, and Parsin. 26This is the interpretation of the matter: Mene, God has numbered[g] the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end; 27Tekel,(BM) you have been weighed[h] in the balances and found wanting; 28Peres, your kingdom is divided and given to(BN) the Medes and(BO) Persians."[i]
29Then(BP) Belshazzar gave the command, and Daniel(BQ) was clothed with purple, a chain of gold was put around his neck, and a proclamation was made about him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.
30(BR) That very night(BS) Belshazzar the(BT) Chaldean king was killed.
Footnotes:Daniel 5:2 Or predecessor; also verses 11, 13, 18 Daniel 5:7 Aramaic answered and said; also verse 10 Daniel 5:10 Or queen mother; twice in this verse Daniel 5:11 Or Spirit of the holy God Daniel 5:14 Or Spirit of God Daniel 5:22 Or successor Daniel 5:26 Mene sounds like the Aramaic for numbered Daniel 5:27 Tekel sounds like the Aramaic for weighed Daniel 5:28 Peres (the singular of Parsin) sounds like the Aramaic for divided and for Persia
Cross references:Daniel 5:1 : Daniel 5:22, 29, 30; Daniel 7:1; 8:1 Daniel 5:1 : Esth 1:3 Daniel 5:1 : Daniel 4:36; 6:17 Daniel 5:2 : Daniel 5:1 Daniel 5:2 : Daniel 5:23; Daniel 1:2 Daniel 5:3 : Daniel 5:2 Daniel 5:4 : Daniel 5:23; Judg 16:24 Daniel 5:4 : Daniel 5:23; Rev 9:20; Psalm 115:4-7 Daniel 5:5 : Daniel 4:31 Daniel 5:5 : Ezek 8:3 Daniel 5:5 : Daniel 5:24 Daniel 5:6 : Daniel 5:10; Daniel 7:28 Daniel 5:6 : Daniel 4:5, 19; 7:28 Daniel 5:6 : Psalm 69:23; Isa 45:1 Daniel 5:6 : Nah 2:10 Daniel 5:7 : Daniel 2:2; 4:6 Daniel 5:7 : Daniel 1:4 Daniel 5:7 : Daniel 2:27 Daniel 5:7 : Daniel 5:16, 29; Daniel 2:6 Daniel 5:7 : Daniel 5:16, 29 Daniel 5:8 : Daniel 5:15; Daniel 4:7, 18; Daniel 2:27; Gen 41:8 Daniel 5:9 : Daniel 2:1 Daniel 5:9 : Daniel 5:6 Daniel 5:9 : Daniel 5:1 Daniel 5:10 : Daniel 2:4 Daniel 5:10 : Daniel 5:6, 9 Daniel 5:11 : Daniel 4:8 Daniel 5:11 : Daniel 1:20 Daniel 5:11 : Daniel 4:9; Daniel 2:48 Daniel 5:11 : Daniel 5:7 Daniel 5:12 : Daniel 6:3 Daniel 5:12 : Daniel 1:17 Daniel 5:12 : Daniel 5:16 Daniel 5:12 : Daniel 1:7 Daniel 5:13 : Daniel 2:25 Daniel 5:14 : Daniel 5:11 Daniel 5:14 : Daniel 5:11 Daniel 5:15 : Daniel 5:7 Daniel 5:15 : Daniel 2:2; 4:6 Daniel 5:15 : Daniel 5:8 Daniel 5:16 : Daniel 2:26 Daniel 5:16 : Daniel 5:12 Daniel 5:16 : Daniel 5:7, 29 Daniel 5:16 : Daniel 5:7, 29 Daniel 5:17 : 2 Kgs 5:16 Daniel 5:18 : Daniel 3:26; 4:2 Daniel 5:18 : Daniel 2:37; 4:22 Daniel 5:18 : Daniel 5:2 Daniel 5:18 : Daniel 4:36 Daniel 5:19 : Daniel 3:4 Daniel 5:19 : Daniel 6:26 Daniel 5:20 : Daniel 4:30, 31; Ezek 31:10, 11 Daniel 5:20 : Daniel 2:21 Daniel 5:21 : Daniel 4:25, 32 Daniel 5:21 : Daniel 5:18 Daniel 5:22 : Daniel 5:1 Daniel 5:22 : 2 Chr 33:23 Daniel 5:23 : Daniel 4:37 Daniel 5:23 : Daniel 5:3; Daniel 1:2 Daniel 5:23 : Daniel 5:4 Daniel 5:23 : Job 12:10 Daniel 5:23 : Jer 10:23 Daniel 5:23 : Acts 12:23; Rev 16:9 Daniel 5:24 : Daniel 5:5 Daniel 5:27 : Job 31:6; Psalm 62:9 Daniel 5:28 : Daniel 5:31; Daniel 9:1; Isa 13:17; 21:2; Jer 51:28 Daniel 5:28 : Daniel 6:28 Daniel 5:29 : Daniel 5:22 Daniel 5:29 : Daniel 5:7, 16 Daniel 5:30 : Jer 50:24; 51:31, 39, 57 Daniel 5:30 : Daniel 5:22 Daniel 5:30 : Daniel 9:1
Second Reading: Rev. 21:9-27
The New Jerusalem
9Then came(A) one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of(B) the seven last plagues and spoke to me, saying, "Come, I will show you(C) the Bride, the wife of the Lamb." 10And(D) he carried me away in the Spirit to(E) a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, 11(F) having the glory of God,(G) its radiance(H) like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. 12It had a great, high wall,(I) with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed— 13on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates. 14And the wall of the city had twelve(J) foundations, and(K) on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
15And the one who spoke with me(L) had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city and its gates and walls. 16The city lies foursquare, its length the same as its width. And he measured the city with his rod, 12,000 stadia.[a] Its length and width and height are equal. 17He also measured its wall, 144 cubits[b] by(M) human measurement, which is also(N) an angel’s measurement. 18The wall was built of(O) jasper, while the city was pure gold, clear as glass. 19(P) The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every kind of jewel. The first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, 20the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst. 21And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and(Q) the street of the city was pure gold, transparent as glass.
22And(R) I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. 23And the city(S) has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for(T) the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24By its light(U) will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth(V) will bring their glory into it, 25and(W) its gates will never be shut by day—and(X) there will be no night there. 26They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. 27But(Y) nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s(Z) book of life.
Footnotes:Revelation 21:16 About 1,380 miles; a stadion was about 607 feet or 185 meters Revelation 21:17 A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters
Cross references:Revelation 21:9 : Revelation 17:1 Revelation 21:9 : Revelation 15:1 Revelation 21:9 : Revelation 21:2 Revelation 21:10 : Revelation 17:3; Ezek 43:5 Revelation 21:10 : Psalm 87:1; Ezek 40:2 Revelation 21:11 : Revelation 21:23; Revelation 22:5; Psalm 84:11; Ezek 43:2, 4 Revelation 21:11 : Matt 5:14; Phil 2:15 Revelation 21:11 : Revelation 4:3, 6 Revelation 21:12 : Ezek 48:31-34 Revelation 21:14 : Heb 11:10; 1 Cor 3:11 Revelation 21:14 : Matt 16:18; Eph 2:20 Revelation 21:15 : Revelation 11:1 Revelation 21:17 : Deut 3:11; Revelation 13:18 Revelation 21:17 : Revelation 21:9 Revelation 21:18 : Revelation 21:11 Revelation 21:19 : Isa 54:11, 12 Revelation 21:21 : Revelation 22:2 Revelation 21:22 : John 4:23 Revelation 21:23 : Revelation 22:5; Isa 60:19, 20; Revelation 21:25 Revelation 21:23 : Revelation 21:11 Revelation 21:24 : Isa 60:3; Revelation 22:2 Revelation 21:24 : Revelation 21:26; Isa 60:5, 16 Revelation 21:25 : Isa 60:11 Revelation 21:25 : Revelation 21:23 Revelation 21:27 : Revelation 22:14, 15; Isa 35:8; 52:1; Ezek 44:9; Joel 3:17; Zech 14:21 Revelation 21:27 : Revelation 3:5
Thursday Father Reading
"We believe, teach, and confess that not only the genuine believers, that is, those who are well prepared, but also the unworthy and the unbelievers receive the true Body and Blood of Christ; but if they are not converted and do not repent, they receive Him not for life and salvation, but to their judgment and condemnation. For although they reject Christ as Redeemer, they must accept Him, even contrary to their will, as a strict judge. He is just as much present to exercise and make known His judgment on unrepentant guests as He is to work life and consolation in the hearts of believing guests who are well prepared." [Lutheran "Formula of Concord: Epitome" Article VII on the Holy Supper of Christ. June 25, 1580]
All Scripture Readings: English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.
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