Thursday Psalms: Who'd Want To?

Our psalm reading for today is from Psalm 81 which calls us to worship the one, true God.

PSALM 81:1-10

¹ Sing aloud to God our strength;

      shout for joy to the God of Jacob!

² Raise a song; sound the tambourine,

      the sweet lyre with the harp.

³ Blow the trumpet at the new moon,

      at the full moon, on our feast day.

⁴ For it is a statute for Israel,

      a rule of the God of Jacob.

⁵ He made it a decree in Joseph when he went out over the land of Egypt.

      I hear a language I had not known:

⁶ “I relieved your shoulder of the burden;

      your hands were freed from the basket.

⁷ In distress you called, and I delivered you;

      I answered you in the secret place of thunder;

            I tested you at the waters of Meribah.

⁸ Hear, O my people, while I admonish you!

      O Israel, if you would but listen to Me!

⁹ There shall be no strange god among you;

      you shall not bow down to a foreign god.

¹⁰ I am the Lord your God,

      who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.

            Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.

 

Praise!  Sing!  Make music to God your strength!  For those who God has called into His family & given faith, these are uplifting and beautiful commands.  We feast and remember God who has given us all things, the same God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  You're reminded that God also relieves your burdens, He delivers you from your distress & troubles.  Most importantly, God sets you free from sin, death and the power of the devil!  Who wouldn't want to shout for joy & raise up songs of thanksgiving?

I love the image in verse seven:  I answered you in the secret place of thunder.  God answers our prayers, especially those as we suffer alone and struggle with powerful temptations and failures.  God loves you more than you can ever understand or even imagine!

God gives you all things and does all these things for you; and He has one warning.  Don't worship anyone or anything else, other than Him.  ...but who'd want to?

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 May 26, 2024

  Pilgrim Lutheran Church

The Holy Trinity

May 26, 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

       Old Testament:  Isaiah 6:1-8

   Second Reading:   Acts 2:14a, 22-36
                  Gospel:   John 3:1-17

OUR THEME FOR WORSHIP 
Today we focus on The Holy Trinity, the only festival on the church calendar where we focus on a doctrine and not an event.  Other Sundays we look at what God has done to save us.  Today we zero in on God, who does the saving.  We can’t understand the Holy Trinity and any effort to describe the relationship between one God and three Persons will only lead to heresy.  Many have tired and ended up in that ditch.  However, God does give us glimpses into His nature, revealing the gracious and loving mystery of the Holy Trinity.  

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: The Voice of the LORD Blesses You!

Blessed Thursday to you!  Today we'll consider Psalm 29, in which we're kind of overwhelmed by the power and rule of the voice of the Lord.  The voice of the Almighty Lord accomplishes whatever He pleases!   For many people, this is a frightening idea, one which causes them to avoid the Lord or live as though He does not exist.

PSALM 29     A Psalm of David.

¹ Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings,

    ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.

² Ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name;

    worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness.

³ The voice of the Lord is over the waters;

    the God of glory thunders, the Lord, over many waters.

⁴ The voice of the Lord is powerful;

    the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.

⁵ The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;

    the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon.

⁶ He makes Lebanon to skip like a calf,

    and Sirion like a young wild ox.

⁷ The voice of the Lord flashes forth flames of fire.

⁸ The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;

    the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.

⁹ The voice of the Lord makes the deer give birth

    and strips the forests bare, and in his temple all cry, “Glory!”

¹⁰ The Lord sits enthroned over the flood;

    the Lord sits enthroned as king forever.

¹¹ May the Lord give strength to His people!

    May the Lord bless His people with peace!

The voice of the Lord is all powerful, and wields His strength however He chooses.    The Lord requires that all His creation worship Him and fear [obey] Him.  But the Lord is not impersonal, He is God of love for His creation.  Because we can't obey God like we should, God sent Jesus to perfectly obey God for us.  Check out 1 Timothy 2:3-4 and John 3:16.  God loves His creation and desires all people to be saved!  God loves you, and saves you!  

The final verse of this psalm also gives you this great news.  God the Father sent His only Son, Jesus to redeem and save His people.  God the Holy Spirit gives to you strength and peace.  The Holy Spirit keeps you in faith, reminding you that God will never leave you nor forsake you, no matter what hard sufferings you may be facing.  Children of God, we are blessed people for sure!

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