Pilgrim Christmas Eve Worship

 

Angels Announcing Christ's Birth to the Shepherds

Govert Flinck (1615–1660)

Pilgrim Lutheran Church

Christmas Eve Candlelight Worship

December 24, 2025

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

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 9:2-7

       Psalm:  Psalm 96

      Epistle:  Titus 2:11-14

      Gospel:  Luke 2:1-20

THEME FOR WORSHIP

In our daily lives, we sing the song of sorrow, along with all people around the world.  We sing sorrow over our suffering, our pain and our sins.  But tonight, an angel of the Lord gives you a new song to sing!  Come, sing with us, the song of your Savior, the song of peace and joy and freedom!

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

"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."  Psalm 119:105

Pilgrim Worship Sunday December 21, 2025

 

Pilgrim Lutheran Church

The Fourth Sunday in Advent

December 21, 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've returned to our regular Sunday schedule, starting with Adult Bible class at 9:15 am and 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 on Pilgrim's website.

Here is information about this worship service:

SCRIPTURE READINGS

  Old Testament:  Isaiah 7:10–17

       Psalm:  Psalm 24

      Epistle:  Romans 1:1–7

     Gospel:  Matthew 1:18–25

THEME FOR WORSHIP

Amid the hectic obligations and the never-ending to-do lists, today you’re invited to hear the Christmas story form Matthew’s gospel.  The Apostle Luke gets most of the air-time during Christmas hymns & programs, but Matthew gives us a different focus, with Joseph as the featured character.  Joseph finds himself in a difficulty situation over which he has no control, yet how does he respond?  What can you learn from Joseph today?

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

"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."  Psalm 119:105

Thursday Psalms: The King of Glory!

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

Today's is a beautiful Advent psalm, proclaiming God's presence among His people.  There are three sections here for us to study, the first two verses begin by proclaiming the Lord as Creator, Owner, Founder and Establisher of the earth and everything around us.  And then David asks "who can be in the presence of the one true God?"  Certainly we are not deserving of this honor!  However, we find the answer in verses 4&5.

Psalm 24     A Psalm of David.
¹ The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof,
   the world and those who dwell therein,
² for He has founded it upon the seas
     and established it upon the rivers.
³ Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord?
     And who shall stand in His holy place?
⁴ He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
     who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully.
⁵ He will receive blessing from the Lord
     and righteousness from the God of his salvation.
⁶ Such is the generation of those who seek Him,
     who seek the face of the God of Jacob.
⁷ Lift up your heads, O gates!
     And be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in.
⁸ Who is this King of glory?
     The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord, mighty in battle!
⁹ Lift up your heads, O gates!
     And lift them up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in.
¹⁰ Who is this King of glory?

     The Lord of hosts, He is the King of glory!

Do you meet the standards set in verse four?  If you're like me, the answer is "...sometimes, I think?"  You and I don't like to admit it, but our hands are never really clean, our hearts are never really pure and deception and dishonesty are tools of our daily lives.  Things are really hopeless, if our own merit is all we have.  

But Jesus has intervened for you!  If you believe in Jesus as your Savior, you receive great blessings (v 5) from the Lord!  Because Jesus took your punishment for all your sins, you have received His righteousness and salvation!  We are the people, we are the "generation" who seek Him by seeking to live lives which glorify Him.  Because Jesus has cleaned our hands and made our hearts pure, we can joyfully ascend the hill of the Lord and stand in His holy place!  

In the final four verses, David calls all creation (including you & me!) to worship Jesus, the King of glory!  What a fitting psalm and theme for Advent, as we await the King of glory's birth in just a few days!  We also keep our heads uplifted as we wait for His second and final return, when the the Lord, strong and mighty, returns for His final judgement of the world, and the bodily resurrection of all believers to eternal life!

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

"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."  Psalm 119:105

Advent Worship Wednesday December 17, 2025

 

Pilgrim Lutheran Church

Advent Vespers Worship

December 17, 2025

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

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: 1 Samuel 2:1-10

               Psalm:  Psalm 138:4-8

              Epistle:  Galatians 4:4-7

              Gospel:  Luke 1:46-55

THEME FOR WORSHIP

Tonight we join the Song of Mary, proclaiming the mercy of God, who is mighty and done great things for you!

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

"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."  Psalm 119:105

Pilgrim Worship Sunday December 14, 2025

Pilgrim Lutheran Church

The Third Sunday in Advent

December 14, 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've returned to our regular Sunday schedule, starting with Adult Bible class at 9:15 am and 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 on Pilgrim's website.

Here is information about this worship service:

SCRIPTURE READINGS

  Old Testament:  Isaiah 35:1-10

               Psalm:  Psalm 146

               Epistle: James 5:7-11

              Gospel:  Matthew 11:2-15

THEME FOR WORSHIP 

In today’s Old Testament reading, Isaiah speaks a great deal about the wilderness being miraculously changed, with waters and streams breaking forth, the desert rejoicing and the dry land being glad.

But you & I live in the very real wilderness today; this transformation has not yet happened.  Aren’t you tired of walking through burning sand and fighting off the jackals?  Of course, we are!  Doesn’t your heart get anxious, your hands get weak, and your knees become feeble?  Of course, they do!  What does God’s words of Isaiah tell us about wilderness living today?  

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

"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."  Psalm 119:105

Thursday Psalms: Trust In Jesus!

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

Today's psalm is Psalm 146, most certainly a psalm of praise to and for the Lord.  But there is another important message here for us, especially during this season of Advent, a season of waiting.  We are living in Advent tension; waiting again to celebrate the first Advent of Jesus, while also waiting for Him to come again on the Last Day, His second Advent.  There is a related tension in this psalm, and we live in this tension, too.  In whom do you put your trust and hope?

Psalm 146

¹ Praise the Lord!

        Praise the Lord, O my soul!

² I will praise the Lord as long as I live;

        I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.

³ Put not your trust in princes,

        in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation.

⁴ When his breath departs, he returns to the earth;

        on that very day his plans perish.

⁵ Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,

        whose hope is in the Lord his God,

⁶ who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them,

        who keeps faith forever;

⁷ who executes justice for the oppressed,

        who gives food to the hungry.

The Lord sets the prisoners free;

          ⁸ the Lord opens the eyes of the blind.

The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;

        the Lord loves the righteous.

⁹ The Lord watches over the sojourners;

        He upholds the widow and the fatherless,

               but the way of the wicked He brings to ruin.

¹⁰ The Lord will reign forever, your God, O Zion, to all generations.

               Praise the Lord! 

Verses 5-9 in this psalm describe so many examples of God's grace, gifted to His beloved children, including you & me.  But this psalm also points us to John 14:6 where Jesus says: "I am the way, and the truth, and the life."  Jesus is the WAY through your suffering & hopelessness in this life!  Jesus is the WAY to eternal peace & joy in heaven!  Jesus is the TRUTH, who opens your blind eyes, who raises you up and makes you righteous!  Jesus is the LIFE, who remains always with you, comforts you, and gives you hope no matter what is going on in your life!  The truth of Jesus is the only way to eternal life!

I pray for you today, that this psalm and these trustworthy assurances from Jesus will lift you up and comfort you during the suffering and struggling times in your life.

O  Lord, teach us to always trust You, our Way, our Truth and our Life.  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

"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."  Psalm 119:105

Advent Worship Wednesday December 10, 2025

 

Pilgrim Lutheran Church

Advent Vespers Worship

December 10, 2025

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

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 11:1-5

       Psalm:  Psalm 138

      Gospel:  Luke 1:39-45

THEME FOR WORSHIP 

So often for us, glory is a zero-sum game; either mine or another’s.  We don’t like to share the spotlight.  We sing our own praises louder and in the place of singing the praises of others. 

The Song of Elizabeth teaches us a different & Godly alternative.  Give your glory away, because God has given you His.

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

"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."  Psalm 119:105

Pilgrim Worship Sunday December 7, 2025

  

Preaching of St John the Baptist    Domenico Ghirlandaio

Pilgrim Lutheran Church

The Second Sunday in Advent

December 7, 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've returned to our regular Sunday schedule, starting with Adult Bible class at 9:15 am and 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 on Pilgrim's website.

Here is information about this worship service:

SCRIPTURE READINGS

  Old Testament:  Isaiah 11:1–10

         Psalm:  Psalm 72:1–7

        Epistle:  Romans 15:4–13

      Gospel:  Matthew 3:1–12

THEME FOR WORSHIP

Today John the Baptizer bursts onto the Advent scene, crying out warnings of the coming judgement.  The last of the Old Testament prophets, John comes to us as a bridge to prepare all people for the flesh & blood arrival of Jesus Christ.  With great passion, John calls you to repentance and pleads with you to be ready for the kingdom of God is at hand.

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

"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."  Psalm 119:105

Thursday Psalms: Praying for Leaders

 

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

We know God commands and desires us to pray for the leaders He has placed over us.  However, when we judge our leaders and decide they are evil or ungodly, or corrupt, we often refuse to pray for them.  Why would we desire their success, when they may be leading contrary to God's will?  We may be right or wrong in our judgement; we still don't pray for them.

Psalm 72 is a prayer for the success of king Solomon, but it's likely this prayer would have been used for other kings also.  For us, this psalm is an encouragement to rightly pray for our leaders, whether they govern by God's commands or not.  Notice the focus of this psalm; it is not really on the king.  

Psalm  72:1-7

¹ Give the king Your justice, O God,

     and Your righteousness to the royal son!

² May he judge Your people with righteousness,

     and Your poor with justice!

³ Let the mountains bear prosperity for the people,

      and the hills, in righteousness!

⁴ May he defend the cause of the poor of the people,

     give deliverance to the children of the needy,

          and crush the oppressor!

⁵ May they fear You while the sun endures,

     and as long as the moon, throughout all generations!

⁶ May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass,

     like showers that water the earth!

⁷ In his days may the righteous flourish,

     and peace abound, till the moon be no more! 

The focus of this prayer is really on God and His justice, His righteousness, His people, His poor & needy children, and His created world.  The psalmist is praying for God's success to be given through the king and to God's people.  I commend this prayer and this mindset to you, as you pray for our leaders to be God-led in all they decide & do.  We also then must trust in God, that even if we do suffer under evil and Godless leaders, it is God's will and purpose. 

Praise be to You, O Lord!

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

"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."  Psalm 119:105