Thursday Psalms: God Calms You!

 

Blessed Thursday to each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, your Savior!

How often have we said or heard the words "Calm down..."?  We often say this to others in distress, especially children.  If you're like me, you've heard these words from others more than a few times.  Many times, especially during a panic attack or an urgent crisis, there are many things we can actually do which help us calm down.  King David even gives his own recommendation in the last part of verse 1.  Don't dwell, don't keep thinking about things beyond your understanding, he suggests.  Often this is good advice, and helps us to calm down.  But is there more in this psalm for us, something more than simply a command:  "do this, don't do that"?  I think so.

     Psalm  131  A Song of Ascents.  Of David.

¹ O Lord, my heart is not lifted up;

      my eyes are not raised too high;

   I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me.

² But I have calmed and quieted my soul,

      like a weaned child with its mother;

            like a weaned child is my soul within me.

³ O Israel, hope in the Lord

                from this time forth and forevermore.

One image and one word attract my attention.  Consider a weaned child with its mother, who we might picture curled up in his/her mother's lap.  Such a child certainly knows his Mom, this person who has fed and cared for him/her, and she still does.  He knows her by the sound of her voice, by the scent of her clothing and he loves her, even if he does not yet fully understand what love is.  This child cant possibly know everything Mom knows, but he/she knows enough and is calmed by her.  

David is using this picture to describe himself, resting in the comfort and provision of his Lord.  He is calmed and quieted in his soul.  This is a picture of you and of me also.  We too, are calmed and quieted by the Lord, knowing that He loves us, cares for us, and forgives all our sins.  We trust in Him, because He loves and cares for us.  Of course, this leads us to verse 3, and God's delightful gift of hope.  Knowing & experiencing that God has kept His promises gives us confidence that He will continue keeping His promises to you and to me.  We hope in the Lord from this time forth and forevermore, not an unsure wishing, but a confident, trusting hope.  

So, when things get rough & rugged in your life, you can indeed CALM DOWN, because God continues to keep all His promises to love, care for and forgive you from this time forth and forevermore.  Thanks be to God!  Amen!

Your servant in Christ,

Pastor Mark

Pilgrim Lutheran Church, LCMS    Burton, Michigan

office:  810.744.1188 

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 LORD is a stronghold for the oppressed, 

   a stronghold in times of trouble."  Psalm 9:9

Pilgrim Worship Sunday August 24, 2025

Pilgrim Lutheran Church

The Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost

August 24, 2025

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!  We're now in our Summer Schedule starting with our 9:30 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 on Pilgrim's website.

Here is information about this worship service:

SCRIPTURE READINGS
   Old Testament:  Isaiah 66:18–23
                Psalm:  Psalm 50:1–15
               Epistle:  Hebrews 12:4–24
               Gospel:  Luke 13:22–30

THEME FOR WORSHIP
In today’s Gospel reading [Luke 13:22-30], Jesus speaks some challenging words to us. Misunderstanding these words can be dangerous, giving us the false idea that our good works will make us fit through this narrow door.

So, what does Jesus mean when He calls us “strive” or “struggle” to enter through the narrow door? The door is closing…how do we avoid being one of those standing outside?

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

Your servant in Christ,

Pastor Mark

Pilgrim Lutheran Church, LCMS    Burton, Michigan

office:  810.744.1188   

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 LORD is a stronghold for the oppressed, 

    a stronghold in times of trouble."  Psalm 9:9

Thursday Psalms: Love God, Your God!

 

Blessed Thursday to each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, your Savior!

Throughout His Word, God speaks to us a lot about sacrifice.  It is the central theme of your salvation.  However, nobody likes sacrifices.  

Psalm  50:1-15

¹ The Mighty One, God the Lord, speaks and summons the earth

      from the rising of the sun to its setting.

² Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines forth.

³ Our God comes; he does not keep silence;

      before him is a devouring fire, around him a mighty tempest.

⁴ He calls to the heavens above and to the earth, that he may judge his people:

      ⁵ “Gather to me my faithful ones, who made a covenant with me by sacrifice!”

⁶ The heavens declare his righteousness, for God himself is judge!

⁷ “Hear, O my people, and I will speak;

      O Israel, I will testify against you.  I am God, your God.

⁸ Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you;

      your burnt offerings are continually before me.

   ⁹ I will not accept a bull from your house or goats from your folds.

   ¹⁰ For every beast of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills.

   ¹¹ I know all the birds of the hills, and all that moves in the field is mine.

   ¹² “If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world and its fullness are mine.

   ¹³ Do I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats?

¹⁴ Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving,

      and perform your vows to the Most High,

¹⁵ and call upon me in the day of trouble;

      I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.

Nobody really likes sacrifice.  Sure, we may value it for a time, when it leads directly to a reward or goal.  You may sacrifice to lose weight, to train and strengthen your muscles or your mind, you may save money to buy something you need or want, etc..  But nobody really likes sacrifice, and this includes sacrifices made for God, resulting from your faith in Him.  

Verse five speaks of a covenant [agreement] with God by sacrifice.  God calls you to sacrifice many things which feel good & are a part of your sinful, me-centered nature but they dont please, glorify or obey God.  Satan constantly tempts & attacks you, corrupting God's good gifts to become sins in your life.  Whether many or few, your good sacrifices & works cannot appease God, who is just & must punish all sins.  God speaks to this in verses 8-13 of this psalm.

God has punished all sins, which brings us to the best & most important sacrifice.  God the Father sent Jesus His Son to become your perfect, sinless sacrifice, taking your sins and their punishment upon Himself.  Jesus died, in your place!  This brings us to verse 14 and a sacrifice God desires from you today.  Because of the forgiveness Jesus won for you, offer to God sacrifices of thanksgiving for His love, continually given to you.  God speaks of these sacrifices in verses 14-15.  Today and this coming week focus on giving thanks to God, making vows of thanksgiving to God, calling upon God and glorifying God.  In these ways, you love God, who is your God!

Your servant in Christ,

Pastor Mark

Pilgrim Lutheran Church, LCMS    Burton, Michigan

office:  810.744.1188 

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 LORD is a stronghold for the oppressed, 

   a stronghold in times of trouble."  Psalm 9:9

Pilgrim Worship Sunday August 17, 2025

 

Pilgrim Lutheran Church

The Tenth Sunday after Pentecost

August 17, 2025

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!  We're now in our Summer Schedule starting with our 9:30 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 on Pilgrim's website.

Here is information about this worship service:

SCRIPTURE READINGS

In the Gospel text today, we find challenging words from our Savior, words to which we’ll give some careful attention.  Did Jesus come to bring peace or division?  Well, yes.  Jesus did and does bring peace, but is it the peace we might want or expect?  Jesus does bring division, but what kind and why?  Don’t we all just want to get along, and live in a sort of “kumbaya” peace, a harmony among folks who are all essentially good people?

I believe we’ll come to a good understanding in short order, but what question is Jesus asking us, sort of hidden behind all this “division” talk in these verses?

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

Your servant in Christ,

Pastor Mark

Pilgrim Lutheran Church, LCMS    Burton, Michigan

office:  810.744.1188   

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 LORD is a stronghold for the oppressed, 

    a stronghold in times of trouble."  Psalm 9:9

Thursday Psalms: Wineskin Woes, Surely Gone!

 

Blessed Thursday to each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, your Savior!

Today's Psalm is a short section from Psalm 119, the longest of all the psalms.  The psalmist is praying for help and strength as he struggles to lead a God-fearing and God-pleasing life in the face of persecution.  In his prayer "When will You comfort me?", he is praying for peace and relief from feeling dried and shriveled up like a wineskin over the heat and smoke of a fire.  In the end, the psalmist prays not for the death of his enemies, but that God would give him life, that God would sustain, nourish and strengthen him so that he may remain steadfast in Godly living.

Psalm 119:81–88

⁸¹ My soul longs for Your salvation; I hope in Your word.

⁸² My eyes long for Your promise;

      I ask, “When will You comfort me?”

⁸³ For I have become like a wineskin in the smoke, yet I have not forgotten Your statutes.

⁸⁴ How long must Your servant endure?

       When will You judge those who persecute me?

⁸⁵ The insolent have dug pitfalls for me;

       they do not live according to Your law.

⁸⁶ All Your commandments are sure;

       they persecute me with falsehood; help me!

⁸⁷ They have almost made an end of me on earth, but I have not forsaken Your precepts.

⁸⁸ In Your steadfast love give me life, that I may keep the testimonies of Your mouth.

Today, are you feeling like a dried-up wineskin?  Is your skin even a bit wrinkled, perhaps you're feeling empty and used-up?  Are you longing for God to answer you; "When will You comfort me?"  Sickness & disease often plague us, sometimes chronically, without end.  How long must Your servant endure?, we pray.  If these are not your prayers today, I'll bet you've endured these feelings before. 

As you long & hope for God's promise-keeping, notice what He tells you in verses 86 and 88.  God's commands, all that God tells you, including His promises, are all sure!  When the only true God, who created and sustains the entire universe tells you His promises are sure, BELIEVE HIM!  

Because God loves you forever, He also cares for you, He forgives you and He has saved you from the sin punishment you deserve.  In His steadfast love, God does give you life; abundant life, forgiven life, a life at peace with God.  Even when God allows you to struggle and requires you to wait for His answers, His abundant & steadfast love never wavers, His love never weakens, nor does God's love ever go away!  Be SURE of that!

Your servant in Christ,

Pastor Mark

Pilgrim Lutheran Church, LCMS    Burton, Michigan

office:  810.744.1188 

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 LORD is a stronghold for the oppressed, 

   a stronghold in times of trouble."  Psalm 9:9

Pilgrim Worship Sunday August 10, 2025

 

Pilgrim Lutheran Church

The Ninth Sunday after Pentecost

August 10, 2025

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

Today we worshiped outside, in the Pilgrim Pavilion!

This was another exciting Sunday at Pilgrim Lutheran Church!  We're now in our Summer Schedule starting with our 9:30 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 on Pilgrim's website.

Here is information about this worship service:

SCRIPTURE READINGS

  Old Testament:  Genesis 15:1–6

       Psalm:  Psalm 33:12–22

      Epistle:  Hebrews 11:1–16

      Gospel:  Luke 12:22–34

THEME FOR WORSHIP 

This Sunday in particular, our readings picture the Christian life of faith, both of strong faith and of little faith.  Abraham [Abram] is often held up as a model of great faith; today’s Old Testament lesson is one example.  Today’s Epistle lesson lists Abraham as the most prominent member of the “Faith Hall of Fame”.  

On the other hand, today’s Gospel scolds “you of little faith”, who are anxious about are lives, what we will eat, or about our bodies, what we will put on.  This sounds familiar to you, because all of us have times of strong and little faith.  Your good news today is this:  no matter the strength of your faith, God the Father has promised you a rich inheritance, a bright and enduring future!

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

Your servant in Christ,

Pastor Mark

Pilgrim Lutheran Church, LCMS    Burton, Michigan

office:  810.744.1188   

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 LORD is a stronghold for the oppressed, 

    a stronghold in times of trouble."  Psalm 9:9

Thursday Psalms: God Is Your Shield!

 

Blessed Thursday to each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, your Savior!

Today we have these verses from Psalm 33 which teach us about hope.  The deeds and works of man [kings, armies, warriors, etc...] only produce false hope which cannot rescue anyone.  But those who fear the Lord and walk in His steadfast love will be delivered from death!

     Psalm 33:12–22

¹² Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,

     the people whom He has chosen as His heritage!

¹³ The Lord looks down from heaven;

     He sees all the children of man;

¹⁴ from where He sits enthroned He looks out

     on all the inhabitants of the earth,

¹⁵ He who fashions the hearts of them all

     and observes all their deeds.

¹⁶ The king is not saved by his great army;

     a warrior is not delivered by his great strength.

¹⁷ The war horse is a false hope for salvation,

     and by its great might it cannot rescue.

¹⁸ Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him,

     on those who hope in His steadfast love,

¹⁹ that He may deliver their soul from death

     and keep them alive in famine.

²⁰ Our soul waits for the Lord;

     He is our help and our shield.

²¹ For our heart is glad in Him,

     because we trust in His holy name.

²² Let Your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us,

     even as we hope in You. 

If you're like me, verse 20 is both encouraging and frustrating.  Consider Abram and his conversation with God in our Old Testament reading for this Sunday [Genesis 15:1-6].  God says "Fear not, Abram, I am your shield..."   But Abram reminds God "I'm still waiting...!!!"  God had promised Abram & Sarah a son even though they were already old, and God had not yet delivered on this promise.  So God renewed His promise to Abram, showing him all the stars in the heavens and said "So shall your offspring be."   As they say, "the rest is history".  God kept His promise and from Abram came eventually Jesus, who has redeemed all people into God's family.

May your heart be glad in Him, as you trust in His holy name.  Our hope is in Him, not a vain and unsure hope, but a confident hope because God keeps all His promises.  Jesus Christ has delivered your soul from everlasting, eternal death.  God the Father is your help and your shield!  Count on it, because God has done it for you!

Your servant in Christ,

Pastor Mark

Pilgrim Lutheran Church, LCMS    Burton, Michigan

office:  810.744.1188 

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 LORD is a stronghold for the oppressed, 

   a stronghold in times of trouble."  Psalm 9:9

Pilgrim Worship Sunday August 3, 2025

 

The Rich Fool, an illustration by Eugène Burnand  1850-1921

Pilgrim Lutheran Church

The Eighth Sunday after Pentecost

August 3, 2025

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!  We're now in our Summer Schedule starting with our 9:30 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 on Pilgrim's website.

Here is information about this worship service:

SCRIPTURE READINGS

   Old Testament:   Ecclesiastes 1:2, 12–14, 2:18–26

            Psalm:   Psalm 100

               Epistle:   Colossians 3:1–11

      Gospel:    Luke 12:13–21

THEME FOR WORSHIP

In today’s Gospel text, Jesus warns us about the sin of coveting material possessions and our tendency to define and construct our lives around them.  The sin of covetousness is serious in God’s eyes and should be in ours also.  As examples, in today’s Epistle text God tells us that covetousness is idolatry, and of course two out of the Ten Commandments God gave to us speak against us coveting things.

Today we’ll unravel a couple of questions.  What is at the root of covetousness that makes it so dangerous?  In the parable of the Rich Fool, why does God care about who will get the rich man’s stuff after he dies?  What is Jesus getting at here, and what is He teaching us?

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

Your servant in Christ,

Pastor Mark

Pilgrim Lutheran Church, LCMS    Burton, Michigan

office:  810.744.1188   

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 LORD is a stronghold for the oppressed, 

    a stronghold in times of trouble."  Psalm 9:9