Readings, Devotion, Prayers and Announcements for the Third Sunday of Easter, April 26, 2020, for both MLLC and Waldeck Evangelical Lutheran Church
As we are not able to meet due as usual to health and safety concerns, yet we are still finding ways to share and celebrate our faith together.
Below are the readings, prayers, and various announcements for this Sunday and this week. The Sunday devotion is at the end of the page.
Remember Your Regular Offerings
For both of our congregations, Waldeck and MLLC, please remember that our expenses continue even when we are unable to meet as usual. Please make a point to give your offerings as you would on a typical week. Here are some ideas of what to do:
For Waldeck Evangelical Lutheran Church in Ledbetter:
– send your offering by mail to the church office – Waldeck Evangelical Lutheran Church; 6915 Waldeck Church Lane; Ledbetter, TX 78946
– set aside your offerings each week, and then bring these to church when you can be at worship again.
For MLLC in Carmine:
– send your offering by mail to the church office – MLLC, P O BOX 362, Carmine, TX 78932-0362
– set aside your offerings each week, and then bring these to church when you can be at worship again.
– give offerings through the church web site: mllccarmine.com/online-giving This page has a link to our secure giving page. Offerings can be made by bank draft, debit card, or credit card through this special web site.
YouTube Video Link
Here is the link for the YouTube video of this day’s service.
APRIL 26, 2020
Third Sunday of Easter
First Reading: Acts 2:14a, 36-41
A reading from Acts.
Today’s reading is the conclusion of Peter’s sermon preached following the giving of the Holy Spirit to the apostles on the day of Pentecost. The center of his preaching is the bold declaration that God has made the crucified Jesus both Lord and Christ.
14aPeter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed [the crowd], 36“Therefore let the entire house of Israel know with certainty that God has made him both Lord and Messiah, this Jesus whom you crucified.”
37Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and to the other apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?” 38Peter said to them, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39For the promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to him.” 40And he testified with many other arguments and exhorted them, saying, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” 41So those who welcomed his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand persons were added.
The word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Psalm: Psalm 116:1-4, 12-19
1I love the Lord, who has heard my voice,
and listened to my supplication,
2for the Lord has given ear to me
whenever I called.
3The cords of death entangled me; the anguish of the grave came upon me;
I came to grief and sorrow.
4Then I called upon the name of the Lord:
“O Lord, I pray you, save my life.”
12How shall I repay the Lord
for all the good things God has done for me?
13I will lift the cup of salvation
and call on the name of the Lord.
14I will fulfill my vows to the Lord
in the presence of all God’s people.
15Precious in your sight, O Lord,
is the death of your servants.
16O Lord, truly I am your servant;
I am your servant, the child of your handmaid; you have freed me from my bonds.
17I will offer you the sacrifice of thanksgiving
and call upon the name of the Lord.
18I will fulfill my vows to the Lord
in the presence of all God’s people,
19in the courts of the Lord‘s house,
in the midst of you, O Jerusalem. Hallelujah!
Second Reading: 1 Peter 1:17-23
A reading from 1 Peter.
The imagery of exile is used to help the readers of this letter understand that they are strangers in a strange land. Christians no longer belong to this age. Through the death of Christ we belong to God, so that our focus, faith, and hope are no longer on such things as silver or gold.
17If you invoke as Father the one who judges all people impartially according to their deeds, live in reverent fear during the time of your exile. 18You know that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold, 19but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without defect or blemish. 20He was destined before the foundation of the world, but was revealed at the end of the ages for your sake. 21Through him you have come to trust in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are set on God.
22Now that you have purified your souls by your obedience to the truth so that you have genuine mutual love, love one another deeply from the heart. 23You have been born anew, not of perishable but of imperishable seed, through the living and enduring word of God.
The word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Gospel: Luke 24:13-35
The holy gospel according to Luke. Glory to you, O Lord.
The colorful story of Jesus’ appearance to two disciples on the road to Emmaus answers the question of how Jesus is to be recognized among us. Here, he is revealed through the scriptures and in the breaking of bread.
13Now on that same day [when Jesus had appeared to Mary Magdalene,] two [disciples] were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, 14and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, 16but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. 17And he said to them, “What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?” They stood still, looking sad. 18Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?” 19He asked them, “What things?” They replied, “The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him. 21But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place. 22Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning, 23and when they did not find his body there, they came back and told us that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive. 24Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but they did not see him.” 25Then he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! 26Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?” 27Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures.
28As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on. 29But they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over.” So he went in to stay with them. 30When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. 31Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight. 32They said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?” 33That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together. 34They were saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!” 35Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.
The gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O Christ.
Devotion
By Pastor David Tinker
Luke 24:13-35 “Meet Jesus Christ”
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
About six weeks ago my cousin Chuck died. One thing I remember most about time with Chuck was eating meals with him and his family. I have memories going back into the 1970s of gathering at the table for food and fellowship. Every Thanksgiving I think of his asking for the big turkey drumstick. When I was a kid he was the first person I remember ever asking to have that piece on Thanksgiving. With this, and other memories, Chuck is one of the people I think of now at mealtimes.
Looking to today’s reading from Luke, we have one of my favorite accounts of Jesus’ ministry. On a road to the Village of Emmaus, two people met a stranger. We know who this stranger was, but the travelers did not. On that Sunday evening, following the Resurrection of Jesus, these two were speaking of the things that had happened that weekend. Jesus, the stranger, catches up with these two and asks them what they are talking about. Dumbfounded, these two just stop in their tracks. How could this stranger not know what transpired over the weekend?
One, whose name was Cleopas, asked, “Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?”
The stranger asks, “What things?”
The traveling disciples answer, “The things about Jesus of Nazareth.” The two continue to tell of all that happened with Jesus, and about the hope they held in him. Then they say that there is talk of this Jesus being raised from the dead after being executed on a Roman torture cross.
Jesus, still unrecognized by these two, responds, “Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?” He followed up with an extensive Bible Study of all that related to himself, this Messiah of the God.
After all this, they still did not know it was him. Likely, he did not say, “I am Jesus the Messiah.” At the end of the day’s travels they stop of for the night. The two disciples offer hospitality to the stranger. During the evening meal Jesus broke bread and blessed it, just as he had done a few days earlier. He was offering them to the Holy Communion. In this meal, in this breaking of the bread, these two disciples finally recognized him. At that point he vanished from their sight.
At this they began to reflect on the past few hours of conversation. They remembered how their spiritual hearts burned within them. Later these two found the other disciples, and they told them how Jesus was made known to them in the breaking of the bread. They recognized Jesus in the Holy Communion.
This point of meeting and recognizing Jesus was powerful. He could tell them all about himself, but they wouldn’t recognize him until he did something to stir up their memories. He used words and a physical element to open their eyes. This breaking of bread opened up their memories and it all became clear. A gush of memories flowed forth. The breaking of bread showed them that this was the one who had gathered with the 12 Disciples on the night when he was betrayed. During that meal he had given a new and special meaning to the bread and the wine of the Passover. Later he would go and die on the cross for their sin. This man with them that night on the road was the same one who had died and was now raised from the dead. The breaking of the bread stirred their memories.
God blesses us in the Church with memory. We remember meeting Jesus Christ. Each time we break bread – as Communion is called in Luke’s writings – we are connected with Jesus.
Holy Communion has long been the most significant part of my Christian life. Each time I receive the bread and the wine God reminds me of the richness of his love, and the connection I have with the community of fellow believers.
Sometimes when I receive the elements of bread and wine I am reconnected with the Last Supper of Jesus with his disciples. I feel I am there with them. The noises and aromas of the gathering become real for me. The conversations interrupted by laughter, the wine, the bread, and the other foods are there. It is as if they were just on the other side of the table with us.
Often I think of the Great Banquet with all the people of God. I eagerly look forward to God’s promised Great Banquet in eternity. Our Communion is a foretaste of the feast to come, and this is foundational to my celebration of the Eucharist.
Other times I am brought to the place of the Skull – Golgotha. I see visions of Jesus suffering on the cross for us. The scene is shaking, like an intense scene in a movie. Darkness and cries fill the air. I sometimes hear the hammering of nails into his arms and feet. Hushed voices murmur in response to what his says in his agony. Bored soldiers stand guard. Blood is dripping from his wounds. The women who stayed with him are weeping. I remember this, and I am spiritually connected to this, because it is the fullest expression of God’s love for us. From the earliest days of the Church, Christians have met frequently for Holy Communion. The Lutheran standard in the Apology of the Augsburg Confession, a founding document of our movement, indicates that Lutheran Christians gather every Sunday for communion, and often more than once a week. We read in the article about the Mass (the worship service with Holy Communion): “For among us masses are celebrated every Lord’s Day and on the other festivals, in which the Sacrament is offered to those who wish to use it…”
Why such frequency? We do this because it is so good and wonderful and significant. It is one of the most important times when we meet Jesus Christ. I look forward to our return to our regular gatherings for the Holy Communion following this health crisis.
With the Holy Communion we recognize Jesus and remember him at the breaking of the bread. I pray that when we gather at the Lord’s table, the breaking of the bread will stir up in all of us a remembrance of all that Jesus Christ has done for the world. I invite you to see it as an extremely significant and regular connection point with Jesus and his people.
*Prayers of Intercession
A: Let us pray for the whole people of God in Christ Jesus, and for all people according to their needs.
A brief silence.
Loving God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit: You have called Your Church from the ends of the earth to be witnesses to the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus. Enliven our proclamation of the name of Jesus so that all may put their faith and hope in Jesus Christ. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Other petitions may be added here.
Sustain those who are struggling with illness of any kind, especially… and those we now name aloud or in quiet prayer… Strengthen those who suffer in any way from the recent pandemic. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We remember your servants of every time and place who have gone before us (especially…). We thank you that through the gift of faith you have taken delight in them. Give comfort to those who mourn. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lead us into the world to serve others in need. Help us to love our neighbors as ourselves. We give thanks for the opportunity to bring your mercy and goodness to those who are suffering, hungry, thirsty, and lonely. Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.
P: Into your hands, O Lord, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in your mercy; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen
Conclude with our LORD’S PRAYER
Prayer Request list for Waldeck Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ledbetter
Health and Well-being Prayer List: Phillip Procell, Brian Shaffer, Sandra Gest, James Smith, Barbara Spence, April Weyand, Fritz Schoenst, Alicia McQuaig, Diana Garik Poentisch, Sally Beettner, Carrie Oltmann, Robin Hardin, Beverly Drescher
Martin Luther in Carmine Prayer Lists:
REMEMBER IN PRAYER: Carol Mertz Leitzel, Janet Schnell Beckworth (both friends of Praise Team leader Jolene Wickel, health concerns and in hospitals); Ricky Eckert (brother of Ronnie Eckert, health concerns); Kalisa Pomykal (Paula Barrick’s sister, medical concerns); Kenny Lorenz (former member Robert Hinze’s relative, serious burns and numerous health concerns); Nancy Pietsch (former RT-C teacher, health concerns); Johnny Dunham (health concerns); Joyce Kelley (friend, health concerns); Jack Walsh (friend of Wade Eilers, recurring melanoma); Bill Clarke (friend of Daryl & Susan Ray, stage 4 cancer); Robert Vaughn (at Texas Neurology, thankful for extended stay for rehab); Carrie Bozarth (friend of Sedalia Ullrich, cancer); Edna Mae Krivacka (friend of Ed Eargle and Carol Carmean, back home, health concerns)
Sympathy to the families of Dora Miller; Jeannie Johnson (grandmother of Matthew & Nick Colpetzer, Joshua Aranzolo, and Emily Ortiz); LaVerne Krumrey (friend from Brenham; Ruby Marburger Ivey (Nikki Pohl’s mother)
The Ongoing Prayer Concerns may be found in the monthly newsletter.
THIS WEEK at MLLC
Today 5:00 pm-AA Meeting (subject to change)
May 3 5:00 pm-AA Meeting (subject to change)
WORSHIP SERVICES are suspended until further notice. See the church web site and the church Facebook page for details of online worship services.
CONFIRMATION will be postponed and a new date set when services resume.
LUTHERAN MISSION APPEAL envelopes are designated for Lutheran Disaster Response of the ELCA. You may send contributions in the mail, or bring it by the office, with the check made out to MLLC and in the memo line, put Lutheran Disaster Response. You may also go to the website to donate.
mlllccarmine/online-giving/
disaster relief – lutheran disaster response
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL has been postponed. The new date at MLLC will be August 2-6, 2020 from 5:30 – 7:45 p.m., with the theme Rocky Railway. See the codes in the May newsletter to register your child and to volunteer.
Registration is also available at the church web site: https://mllccarmine.com/vacation-bible-school-2020/
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL at Bethlehem Lutheran in Round Top will be June 1-4 from 5:30 – 8:30 p.m. with the theme “Anchored.” There are registration forms in the narthex and church office. For more information contact Stacy Eilers at 979-639-1897. Possibly to be postponed to a later date.
CHURCH COUNCIL MEMBER A person is needed to serve as chairperson of the Outreach/Care Committee. Please consider serving in this role.
FINANCIAL INFORMATION FOR MLLC
Week ending 4/4/2020
Church Income $2,118.00
Church Expenses $5,936.23
Property Insurance 3,936.50
Benevolences 1,158.00
Salaries & Benefits 400.00
Postage 220.00
Bulletins 171.73
Miscellaneous 50.00
Net Loss: $3,818.23
Week ending 4/11/2020
Church Income $7,076.00
Church Expenses $4,839.70
Salaries & Benefits 3,560.16
Utilities 800.54
Supplies 479.00
Net Income: $2,236.30
Year to Date Net Loss: $511.43
Martin Luther Lutheran Church 