Thursday Psalms: Dance Every Morning!

We read today's psalm through the lens of our own struggles, those times of suffering in body and mind.  Some suffering God has healed; some not yet.  

PSALM 30     A Psalm of David

¹ I will extol You, O Lord, for you have drawn me up

        and have not let my foes rejoice over me.

² O Lord my God, I cried to You for help, and You have healed me.

³ O Lord, You have brought up my soul from Sheol;

        You restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit.

⁴ Sing praises to the Lord, O you His saints,

        and give thanks to His holy name.

⁵ For His anger is but for a moment, and His favor is for a lifetime.

        Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.

⁶ As for me, I said in my prosperity, “I shall never be moved.”

⁷ By Your favor, O Lord, You made my mountain stand strong;

        You hid Your face; I was dismayed.

⁸ To You, O Lord, I cry, and to the Lord I plead for mercy:

⁹ “What profit is there in my death, if I go down to the pit?

        Will the dust praise You?  Will it tell of Your faithfulness?

¹⁰ Hear, O Lord, and be merciful to me!  O Lord, be my Helper!”

¹¹ You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;

        You have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness,

¹² that my glory may sing Your praise and not be silent.

        O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever! 

In verse three David speaks of "Sheol", which refers to the state or the abode of the dead.  David speaks of being restored, being brought up from the dead.  This is different healing than for what we usually pray, to be healed from sickness, depression, loneliness, and other bodily suffering.  Of course, this verse points the Christian to  the Last Day, when Jesus Christ will return to earth and physically bring up from Sheol the bodies of all who have died.  On that day of judgement, If you confess your sins and believe that Jesus forgives them, Jesus will give you eternal life in heaven.

But verse 3 also encourages us in the "here and now".  Every time you confess your sins to God the Father, He forgives you because Jesus His Son has already taken your punishment for you!  God the Father's anger [v4] was poured out on Jesus in the moment of His death, so you and I enjoy God's favor for a lifetime!  Forgiveness brings you up from the Sheol [death] of guilt and shame.  When forgiven, you're set free from your sins, you're restored to God the Father, made perfect again because of Jesus!  

As God's forgiven & loved child, follow David's example [vv 11-12].  Dance every morning in gladness, singing thankful praises to the Lord forever! 

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

"For You, O LORD, are my hope, my trust, O LORD, from my youth."  Psalm 71:5  

Pilgrim Worship Sunday June 23, 2024

Woodcut by Gustave Doré (1832-1883)

  Pilgrim Lutheran Church

The Fifth Sunday after Pentecost

June 23, 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 9:00 am, then our 10:00 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:  Job 38:1-11

                Psalm:  Psalm 124
               Epistle:  2 Corinthians 6:1-13
               Gospel:  Mark 4:35-41

THEME FOR WORSHIP

St. Mark the Apostle describes your Savior Jesus asleep in the back of their boat as the storm rages and their lives seem in great danger.  For many of us, this is a favorite miracle of Jesus; it reminds us that Jesus rules over all things with complete power and command.  We know Jesus can & often does step into our storms and calm them.  Still, what encourages us as we live day-to-day between the two questions in this text?  

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

"For You, O LORD, are my hope, my trust, O LORD, from my youth."  Psalm 71:5 

Thursday Psalms: God's On Your Side!

Today we consider Psalm 124, a song of encouragement and remembering God's care for us.

PSALM 124         A Song of Ascents. Of David.
   ¹ If it had not been the Lord who was on our side—
          let Israel now say—
   ² if it had not been the Lord who was on our side
          when people rose up against us,
   ³ then they would have swallowed us up alive, 
          when their anger was kindled against us;
   ⁴ then the flood would have swept us away, 
          the torrent would have gone over us;
   ⁵ then over us would have gone the raging waters.
   ⁶ Blessed be the Lord, 
          who has not given us as prey to their teeth!
   ⁷ We have escaped like a bird from the snare of the fowlers;
          the snare is broken, and we have escaped!
   ⁸ Our help is in the name of the Lord,

          who made heaven and earth. 

In this psalm, David is calling Israel to remember something:  their "help is in the name of the Lord".  David reminds them what would have happened to them, if the Lord had not been "on our side".  Today, pause for a few moments, and consider this in your own life.  As you look back "in the rearview mirror", when can you see God's hand helping, protecting, or defending you?  Take the time to thank God for His care and provision!  This is a very important lesson in this psalm for us, and I encourage you to do this often.

But what about those times when you've felt like the Lord was not with you?  What about those times when we want or think we need certain outcomes from God, and it appears like He is nowhere to be found.  Does this psalm teach us about that also?  

Consider the final verse: "Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth."  God doesn't say our help might be in Him, nor does He say our help sometimes will be in Him.  God clearly says our help is in Him.   ...at all times.  ...in all situations.  And then He reminds us who He is:  "...who made heaven and Earth."  In this verse, God reminds us that He has the power, and wields His power to be our help in every situation, as it pleases His will not ours. 

Give thanks for God's help that you can see clearly, and always cling to the name of the Lord in all situations.  God is on your side!

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

"For You, O LORD, are my hope, my trust, O LORD, from my youth."  Psalm 71:5 

Pilgrim Worship Sunday June 16, 2024

  Pilgrim Lutheran Church

The Fourth Sunday after Pentecost

June 16, 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 9:00 am, then our 10:00 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:  Ezekiel 17:22–24

               Psalm:  Psalm 1
              Epistle:  2 Corinthians 5:1–10
              Gospel:  Mark 4:26–34

OUR THEME FOR WORSHIP
We’re fully enwrapped in the beauty of summer!  Planted seeds are growing & producing their fruit.  Tender twigs adorn the tops of cedars, oaks and all kinds of trees.  Today God speaks through His servant Ezekiel, promising to grow up a noble cedar, giving home & shade to every kind of bird.  Through His servant Mark, Jesus describes the kingdom of God through the vocation of a farmer and the growth of a tiny seed.  So, where are you in these pictures God gives to us?  Are you a tree, bird, seed, farmer, branch or fruit?  

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

"For You, O LORD, are my hope, my trust, O LORD, from my youth."  Psalm 71:5

Thursday Psalms: Delight In God's Law

Today our focus is Psalm 1, a favorite psalm for many people:

PSALM 1
¹ Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
      nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
² but his delight is in the law of the Lord,
      and on His law he meditates day and night. 
³ He is like a tree planted by streams of water 
      that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither.
      In all that he does, he prospers.
⁴ The wicked are not so,
      but are like chaff that the wind drives away.
⁵ Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
      nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
⁶ for the Lord knows the way of the righteous,

      but the way of the wicked will perish.

Most times when Scripture uses the phrase "the law of the Lord", the 10 Commandments usually come to our minds.  But we should think more broadly than this; "the law of the Lord" really refers to the entire relationship which God created and desires to exist between Him and His people.  Think in terms of your entire life of reading Scripture, prayer, worship and service to God & your neighbors.  

Blessed are the men and women who DELIGHT in a loving relationship with God, a life of service and worship!  When hard times come, God sustains you as you cling to His promises and receive His comfort.  When you trust in the Lord, and delight in Him, your roots go down deep and you won't be destroyed or pushed over by the attacks of Satan.  When you stumble and sin, confess them and God will forgive you!  God washes you clean and makes you righteous because Jesus took your punishment; He was righteous in your place!

Delight in God's Law!  Delight in His forgiveness!  AMEN!

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

"For You, O LORD, are my hope, my trust, O LORD, from my youth."  Psalm 71:5

Pilgrim Worship Sunday June 9, 2024

  Pilgrim Lutheran Church

The Third Sunday after Pentecost

June 9, 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:  Genesis 3:8-15

               Psalm:  Psalm 130
              Epistle:  2 Corinthians 4:13 – 5:1
             Gospel:  Mark 3:20-35

OUR THEME FOR WORSHIP
Jesus speaks a truth we see everyday:  “…if a house is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.”  Division from God & from each other all began in Eden’s Garden, when the devil’s seduction of Adam & Eve separated God’s creation from Him.  In today’s gospel reading, even Jesus’ family is divided from Him.  Churches are divided about many things, and parts of our sinful world will remain divided from God through the end of time.  Where is our good news?  It’s in Jesus, who must be “out of His mind” to love us anyway!

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: Waiting in Hope

Psalm 130 is a penitential psalm, expressing our sorrow and complete reliance of the Lord for all things.  This requires us to wait, to wait for the Lord.

Psalm 130   My Soul Waits for the Lord

¹ Out of the depths I cry to You, O Lord!

²  O Lord, hear my voice!

      Let Your ears be attentive to the voice of my pleas for mercy!

³  If You, O Lord, should mark iniquities,

      O Lord, who could stand?

⁴  But with You there is forgiveness,

      that You may be feared.

⁵  I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,

      and in His word I hope;

⁶  my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning,

      more than watchmen for the morning.

⁷  O Israel, hope in the Lord!

      For with the Lord there is steadfast love,

            and with Him is plentiful redemption.

⁸  And He will redeem Israel from all his iniquities.

We're very familiar with these emotions & questions.  How often have you cried out to your heavenly Father "Hear my voice!"  "Pay attention to my needs!"?  Any selfishness in our hearts melts away with verses 3 & 4.  We can't stand, or even crawl into the Father's presence without the forgiveness which comes from Jesus' obedient death on Calvary's cross.  

And so, humility & confidence return to us, as we wait on the Lord.  Our only hope is in His word, in Jesus who is the Word as revealed in the Bible, God's written word.  In verses 7 and 8, we're encouraged to join with the psalmist, and spread this good news of hope with our neighbors.  

In Jesus we're given redemption, love and forgiveness!  Be people of hope, waiting in hope, as only people of God can be!  We can't hope in what the world provides, but our lasting hope is from Jesus Christ!  Be refreshed in this hope, and proclaim to others Jesus Christ crucified, the reason for our hope! 

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 June 2, 2024

  Pilgrim Lutheran Church

The Second Sunday after Pentecost

June 2, 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:  Deuteronomy 5:12–15

               Psalm:  Psalm 81:1–10
              Epistle:  2 Corinthians 4:5–12
              Gospel:  Mark 2:23 - 3:6

OUR THEME FOR WORSHIP
As we begin the season of Pentecost, we focus on growing together around God’s Word & Sacraments.  Pentecost is a time to grow in Godly wisdom as Jesus forms us into His disciples.  In the third of God’s blessed Commands, we’re called to put worship or sabbath first.  Faith forms your life, the Commandments form your life, but Jesus Christ, the Word of God gives you life.  Jesus is your rest-giver, He is your sabbath peace with God the Father.

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