Thursday Psalms: Praise In the Ordinary!

The main message of the final Psalm in the Bible is pretty clear! 😁  It is easy to imagine this grand procession of worship and praise.  We can almost hear the loud clashing cymbals & other musicians.  We can see the dancing as a great parade proceeds to a glorious temple or cathedral or other place of worship.  What a powerful & uplifting scene David describes for us!

Psalm 150

¹ Praise the Lord!  Praise God in His sanctuary;

     praise Him in His mighty heavens!

² Praise Him for His mighty deeds;

     praise Him according to His excellent greatness!

³ Praise Him with trumpet sound;

     praise Him with lute and harp!

⁴ Praise Him with tambourine and dance;

     praise Him with strings and pipe!

⁵ Praise Him with sounding cymbals;

     praise Him with loud clashing cymbals!

⁶ Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!

     Praise the Lord! 

But what about today?  How can this psalm speak to you & me today?  The Lord is mighty and so deserving of our praise in each hour of our ordinary lives.  Praise the Lord, in the details. 

When you or a loved one begins to feel better, finally turning the corner toward health restored...Praise the Lord!  

When a test result comes back with good news...Praise the Lord!  

After overcoming pride and apologizing, you hear the beautiful words "I forgive you"...  Praise the Lord!  

A friend invited to church wants to know more about Jesus...Praise the Lord!  

God gives you a new understanding or application during your daily Bible reading...Praise the Lord!  

God reminds you how much He desires to hear your prayers and answer them according to His will...Praise the Lord!  

You get the picture, Praise the Lord in all the details of your ordinary life!  God is not a far-away, detached God!  For God so loved this world that He gave His only Son, to become one of His creation and to save us by His life, death & resurrection!  Praise the Lord!  Say it again... 😁

Peace in Christ,

Pastor Mark

Pilgrim Lutheran Church, LCMS    Burton, Michigan

office:  810.744.1188     mobile:  248.881.7627

We are Pilgrims with a Purpose:  

     Sharing God’s Love & Mercy with Each Other & the World.

Pilgrim Website

Pilgrim Facebook page

Soli Deo Gloria

"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble."  Psalm 46:1 

Pilgrim Worship Sunday April 21, 2024

  Pilgrim Lutheran Church

The Fourth Sunday of Easter

April 21, 2024

We're thankful you've come here to watch our service and to worship the one true God!

This was another exciting Sunday at Pilgrim Lutheran Church!  Once again, we had lots of great activities going on, starting with our Adult Bible study at 9:15 am, then our 10:30 am Worship service.  Afterward, we gathered for food and conversations, while the children enjoyed Sunday School.  These classes are full of activities and teaching, so the children learn how much God loves them!

If you live in the Burton area, please consider joining us on Sunday mornings!  Anyone can watch our services live on Facebook or later on Pilgrim's website.

Here is information about this worship service:

BIBLE READINGS FOR SUNDAY

   First Reading:  Acts 4:1–12

              Psalm:  Psalm 23
             Epistle:  1 John 3:16–24
            Gospel:  John 10:11–18

OUR THEME FOR WORSHIP SUNDAY
Sunday’s Gospel text from John 10 provides pure, beautiful and unadulterated comfort to a suffering Christian conscience.  In these words, we learn that Jesus is our Good Shepherd.  He defends us against the attacks of the wolf [the devil].  He sticks beside us and will never leave us, not like a hired hand, a faithless shepherd or a faithless pastor would do.  Jesus does all this of His own choosing, even laying down His life.  Because of this, He is worthy of the Father’s love.  There is also another great & powerful lesson for us to discover in this text, one that is both frightening and freeing.  

To watch the video of today's service, please click HERE.

Peace in Christ,

Pastor Mark

Pilgrim Lutheran Church, LCMS    Burton, Michigan

office:  810.744.1188     mobile:  248.881.7627

We are Pilgrims with a Purpose:  

       Sharing God’s Love & Mercy with Each Other & the World.

Pilgrim Website

Pilgrim Facebook page

Soli Deo Gloria

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom..."  Psalm 111:10a  

Thursday Psalms: Your Good Shepherd!

This Sunday is often called the Sunday of the Good Shepherd, an image which describes the rescuing work of Jesus from Calvary's cross and the empty tomb.  Jesus is both the Lamb who was slain for your salvation, and your Good Shepherd, who lays down His life for the sheep.  Not surprisingly, the Psalm assigned for this coming Sunday is the 23rd Psalm, one of the best known and most loved texts in Scripture.  

PSALM  23     A PSALM OF DAVID.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
     He leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
     for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
     I will fear no evil, for you are with me;
          your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me
     in the presence of my enemies;
          you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
     all the days of my life,

          and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

Two thoughts come to my mind as I read these beautiful verses.  First:  The LORD is my Shepherd.  We aren't  self-sufficient creatures; we depend on our Shepherd for everything.  Without Him we're soon lost.  We live in a state of constant need.  We're not in control of our path, our destinations, nor anything else.  Boy, do we like to think so.  Pause and give thanks to God your Father in heaven, that He sent His Son to be your Shepherd, who cares for you every day!

Second:  I will fear no evil.  O, there is plenty in our lives worthy of fear, and we fear more than we should.  But Jesus, your Good Shepherd defeated evil on Calvary's cross!  While the devil, the world and your sinful nature do harm you, they cannot kill you.  In His Easter morning resurrection, Jesus your Good Shepherd defeated death itself!  The great news of Easter is this:  instead of fearing evil and death, we live joy-filled lives, set free from guilt & shame by God's forgiveness.  We also look forward to eternal life in heaven with complete confidence and surety.

All of the comforts in this beautiful psalm are yours, because your Shepherd walked through the valley of death and rose victoriously for your salvation!  Rest and feast at HIs table, living in His house forever!

Peace in Christ, your awesome & good Shepherd!

Pastor Mark

Pilgrim Lutheran Church, LCMS    Burton, Michigan

office:  810.744.1188     mobile:  248.881.7627

We are Pilgrims with a Purpose:  

     Sharing God’s Love & Mercy with Each Other & the World.

Pilgrim Website

Pilgrim Facebook page

Soli Deo Gloria

"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble."  Psalm 46:1