Pilgrim Maundy Thursday Worship March 28, 2024

The Last Supper    Gustave Doré (1832-1883)

  Pilgrim Lutheran Church

Maundy Thursday Worship

March 28, 2024

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

We gathered for worship on this Thursday of the holiest of weeks.  If you live in the Burton area, please consider joining us in-person tomorrow for Good Friday worship at 4pm or 7pm.  You can also watch our services live on Facebook or later on Pilgrim's website.

Here is information about today's worship service:

BIBLE READINGS FOR WORSHIP

   Old Testament:  Exodus 12:1–14
                Psalm:  Psalm 116:12–19
               Epistle:  1 Corinthians 11:23–32
               Gospel:  John 13:1–17, 31b–35

THEME FOR WORSHIP

Reading and studying during this holiest of weeks, a smile crept over my weary face.  The events of Maundy Thursday and Good Friday seem a bit out of order, to my limited way of thinking.  Redemption was accomplished at Calvary, but it is delivered to the disciples & us in the upper room during this intimate gathering of Christ and His dearly loved children.  

And so on this Maundy Thursday, God gives us a new mandatum or command, that we should love our neighbors with sacrificial, life-denying love.  Far more powerful than feet-washing, Jesus hands over to us the supper of the New Testament.  Jesus gives to you & me His body and blood for the forgiveness of our sins.  This is not the Church’s meal, it is the Lord’s supper, the supper of the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.  

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 

Good Friday Psalm

On this Good Friday, we watch our Savior being tortured and hung on Calvary's cross to die.  Our hearts are full of sorrow and disgust over our sins, which put Jesus there.  The following verses are Jesus' words as He suffers and dies in your place, taking the punishment only you deserve of all your sins.  Think deeply and pray over these words today, that God would strengthen your faith and your thankfulness for the salvation Jesus has won for you.

PSALM 22:1-23

¹ My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

        Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?

² O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest.

³ Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel.

⁴ In you our fathers trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them.

⁵ To you they cried and were rescued;

        in you they trusted and were not put to shame.

⁶ But I am a worm and not a man,

        scorned by mankind and despised by the people.

⁷ All who see me mock me;

        they make mouths at me; they wag their heads;

⁸ “He trusts in the Lord; let him deliver him;

        let him rescue him, for he delights in him!”

⁹ Yet you are he who took me from the womb;

        you made me trust you at my mother’s breasts.

¹⁰ On you was I cast from my birth,

        and from my mother’s womb you have been my God.

¹¹ Be not far from me,

        for trouble is near, and there is none to help.

¹² Many bulls encompass me;

        strong bulls of Bashan surround me;              

¹³ they open wide their mouths at me,

        like a ravening and roaring lion.

¹⁴ I am poured out like water,

        and all my bones are out of joint;

           my heart is like wax; it is melted within my breast;

¹⁵ my strength is dried up like a potsherd,

        and my tongue sticks to my jaws;

           you lay me in the dust of death.    

¹⁶ For dogs encompass me;

        a company of evildoers encircles me;

           they have pierced my hands and feet—

¹⁷ I can count all my bones—

        they stare and gloat over me;

¹⁸ they divide my garments among them,

        and for my clothing they cast lots.

¹⁹ But you, O Lord, do not be far off!

        O you my help, come quickly to my aid!

²⁰ Deliver my soul from the sword,

        my precious life from the power of the dog!

²¹ Save me from the mouth of the lion!

        You have rescued me from the horns of the wild oxen!

²² I will tell of your name to my brothers;

        in the midst of the congregation I will praise you:

²³ You who fear the Lord, praise him!

        All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him,

           and stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel! 

Lord, have mercy.   Christ, have mercy.   Lord, have mercy.   AMEN.

Peace in Christ, who died for you,

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: The Cup of Salvation

Today is Maundy Thursday, in the middle of Holy Week.  Almost 2000 years ago on this day, Jesus became a servant to His disciples, teaching them to love & serve others by washing their feet.  Jesus has put in place this two-way relationship with all believers.  First, He serves us in so many ways, most importantly in loosening our bonds of sins by forgiving them.  We in turn serve Him, offering thanksgiving, praise & serving our neighbors.  These psalm verses capture these thoughts for us today.

PSALM 116:  12-19

¹² What shall I render to the Lord

     for all His benefits to me?

¹³ I will lift up the cup of salvation

     and call on the name of the Lord,

¹⁴ I will pay my vows to the Lord

     in the presence of all His people.

¹⁵ Precious in the sight of the Lord

     is the death of His saints.

¹⁶ O Lord, I am Your servant;

     I am Your servant, the son of Your maidservant.

         You have loosed my bonds.

¹⁷ I will offer to You the sacrifice of thanksgiving

     and call on the name of the Lord.

¹⁸ I will pay my vows to the Lord

     in the presence of all His people,

¹⁹ in the courts of the house of the Lord,

     in your midst, O Jerusalem.

         Praise the Lord! 

But this day is most well-known for another servant action by Jesus.  Far more powerful than feet-washing, Jesus gives to you & me His body and blood for the forgiveness of our sins.  In only a few hours Jesus will hang on Calvary's cross and will drink to the dregs from the cup of His Father's wrath, taking all the punishment of the world's sins.  Jesus drank that cup for you, so that He can give to you the cup of salvation!   Jesus repeats this miracle every time we come to His altar and receive what He promises and delivers:  His body & blood, given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.

So today we give extra thanks for the specific blessed gift of our Lord's holy Supper.  But thank God also, that in any time or place, you will confess your sins to God, and receive His immediate and complete forgiveness.  Jesus loves you so much, serving you with Himself and His forgiveness!

Peace in God alone,

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  

Pilgrim Reading: The Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ

  Pilgrim Lutheran Church

The Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ

Holy Week 2024

This brief prayer service includes a reading of Our Lord's Passion account, compiled from all four holy Gospels in God's Word.  We pray this video will be a great blessing to you, as we journey through this very holy week and arrive in a few days at Easter Sunday.

To watch the video of this brief 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  

Pilgrim Palm Sunday Worship March 24, 2024

  Pilgrim Lutheran Church

Palm Sunday

March 24, 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

   Old Testament:  Zechariah 9:9-12

                Psalm:  Psalm 31:9-16
               Epistle:  Philippians 2:5-11
               Gospel:  John 12:12-19

OUR THEME FOR WORSHIP SUNDAY
We have come to Palm Sunday or Passion Sunday, and there is a powerful tension in this day.  Waving glorious palms we enter this holiest of weeks, which will end with blood & water pouring from Jesus’ cold, dead body.  As Jesus rides a borrowed donkey through the singing & palm-waving crowd, what is going on?  
The theology of glory calls this a “triumphal entry”, but Jesus is weeping and lamenting these next steps in His death march.  The people hail Jesus, yet all the while are plotting to betray Him and kill Him.  The “glory” crowd wants to see Jesus take up residence in the Royal Palace, but the theology of the cross sees the Messiah being crowned King with thorns and hung on a tree.  Perceive this tension and you’ll catch a glimpse of what Jesus gave up for you.  Jesus calls us from lives seeking glory to lives of sacrifice and serving others.

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: Save Me O Lord!

During this penitential season of Lent, we're drawn to consider our distress, grief, sorrow, sighing and failing strength.  Our enemies & adversaries attack us and weigh us down.  We often feel forgotten like one who is dead.  

PSALM 31:9-16

⁹ Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am in distress;

      my eye is wasted from grief; my soul and my body also.

¹⁰ For my life is spent with sorrow, and my years with sighing;

      my strength fails because of my iniquity, and my bones waste away.

¹¹ Because of all my adversaries I have become a reproach,

      especially to my neighbors, and an object of dread to my acquaintances;

            those who see me in the street flee from me.

¹² I have been forgotten like one who is dead;

      I have become like a broken vessel.

¹³ For I hear the whispering of many—terror on every side!—

      as they scheme together against me, as they plot to take my life.

¹⁴ But I trust in You, O Lord;

      I say, “You are my God.”

¹⁵ My times are in Your hand;

      rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my persecutors!

¹⁶ Make Your face shine on your servant;

      save me in Your steadfast love! 

The second section of Psalm 31 is more somber than the first.  David begins with a short plea to God, then his focus changes onto himself and his suffering.  But his misery cannot last, and neither should yours!  Near the end of this section David turns back to his God, who he trusts and whose love for him is steadfast!  

And so it is also with us!  As we are attacked by so many things, we're in distress.  Terrors surround us on every side.  In spite of all our suffering, we can join David and say "But I trust in You, O  Lord!  You are my God!"

O heavenly Father, in spite of my fear and worry and suffering, make Your face shine on me, and comfort me in Your steadfast love!   Amen.

Peace in God alone,

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 

Pilgrim Worship Wednesday March 20, 2024

  Pilgrim Lutheran Church

Lenten Evening Prayer

March 20, 2024

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

This was another Wednesday worship service during the season of Lent.  If you live in the Burton area, please consider joining us in-person on Wednesdays at 4pm or 7pm.  You can also watch our services live on Facebook or later on Pilgrim's website.

Here is information about today's worship service:

THEME FOR WORSHIP

In Psalm 41:7–8, David lamented, “All who hate me whisper together about me; they imagine the worst for me. They say, ‘A deadly thing is poured out on him; he will not rise again from where he lies.’”  These words pointed forward to our Lord Jesus Christ, who rose again in defiance of His enemies.  

Do you have enemies who whisper and scheme against you?  Have you been brought low—perhaps so low that you despair of ever rising again?  You can have confidence in your Lord Jesus Christ through your Baptism, which unites you to Him in death and life (see Romans 6:3–5).  You will rise again from where you lie, as will David and all believers, and your risen Lord will set all things to right.

May the Holy Spirit stir up your heart with God's Word this week, as we look forward to Holy Week!

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 

Pilgrim Worship Sunday March 17, 2024

  Pilgrim Lutheran Church

The Fifth Sunday in Lent

March 17, 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

   Old Testament:  Jeremiah 31:31-34
                Psalm:  Psalm 119:9-16
               Epistle:  Hebrews 5:1-10
              Gospel:   Mark 10:32-45

OUR THEME FOR WORSHIP
Historically Sunday marks the beginning of Passiontide, a week where the liturgical focus gradually shifts like the ocean tides.  Our focus changes from a period of repentance, turning to the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ, which begins next Sunday.  Our annual journey to the cross is nearing their climax, as is the Gospel itself.  Jesus is walking ahead, going up to Jerusalem with disciples in tow, to accomplish the very purpose for which He was born.  It’s a death march, but the disciples don’t yet get it, and don’t want any part of it.   Neither do we.

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