October 2020

SATURDAY (October 31, 2020)
Reformation Day

In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Gospel Sentence
“…if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” (John 8:36)

Reading
“Praise the LORD! Sing to the LORD a new song, his praise in the assembly of the godly! Let Israel be glad in his Maker; let the children of Zion rejoice in their King! Let them praise his name with dancing, making melody to him with tambourine and lyre! For the LORD takes pleasure in his people; he adorns the humble with salvation.” (Psalms 149:1–4)

Meditation
God loves to be with His people. In music and song, in rejoicing and sorrow, no matter what, God loves and longs to be with His people. Why come to God’s house? Because He has invited you to the banquet feast of heaven. And everyone in heaven and on earth who trust in Him will be there. The past, the present, the future, they are all gathered together around the Altar of Joy in His presence. Come to the feast!

Silence

Prayer for Holy Cross Member
O Lord, in Holy Baptism you put your Name upon Frank. Bless him now with the forgiveness of sins and a firm trust in you. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Prayer of the Week
Almighty and gracious Lord, pour out Your Holy Spirit on Your faithful people. Keep us steadfast in Your grace and truth, protect and deliver us in times of temptation, defend us against all enemies, and grant to Your Church Your saving peace; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Lord’s Prayer

FRIDAY (October 30, 2020)
In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Gospel Sentence
“…if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” (John 8:36)

Reading
“Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” (John 8:34–36)

Meditation
Jesus giving freedom is not just a set of nice words. When Jesus, the Word of God made flesh, sets you free, that is what happened. God creates by His Word. He sustains and holds up the whole world by His Word. And He forgives (sets free) by His Word. That forgiveness of sins is as real as God saying, “Let there be light.” So God’s word of freedom to you today is no mere wishful thinking on His part. He has said it. You are free.

Silence

Prayer for Holy Cross Member
Father, we lift up Arturo before you this day, asking that You would give him your mercy all the days of his life. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Prayer of the Week
Almighty and gracious Lord, pour out Your Holy Spirit on Your faithful people. Keep us steadfast in Your grace and truth, protect and deliver us in times of temptation, defend us against all enemies, and grant to Your Church Your saving peace; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Lord’s Prayer

THURSDAY (October 29, 2020)
In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Gospel Sentence
“…if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” (John 8:36)

Reading
“So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” They answered him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?”” (John 8:31–33)

Meditation
The concept of being in slavery is never a pleasant one. The Jews couldn’t believe it. We have never been in slavery to anyone! Forget the Egyptians, the Babylonians, the Assyrians, and a host of other nations who walked all over Israel at different times. Our pride makes us blind to our slavery. But Jesus will cut through our pride and set us free.

Silence

Prayer for Holy Cross Member
Show your grace to Allison this day, as she goes about the callings you have given to her. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Prayer of the Week
Almighty and gracious Lord, pour out Your Holy Spirit on Your faithful people. Keep us steadfast in Your grace and truth, protect and deliver us in times of temptation, defend us against all enemies, and grant to Your Church Your saving peace; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Lord’s Prayer

WEDNESDAY (October 28, 2020)
St. Simon and St. Jude, Apostles

In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Gospel Sentence
“…if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” (John 8:36)

Reading
“This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.” (Romans 3:25–28)

Meditation
God shows His righteousness in Jesus Christ. In other words, God bares His soul in Jesus, who is the exact image of God. And because of that, because of Jesus Christ, God justifies you, and makes you His own. You don’t contribute. This isn’t a payment plan. It is all on Him, and now He delivers it all to you.

Silence

Prayer for Holy Cross Member
Be with David this day, O Lord, and show him your great love throughout all the days of his life. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Prayer for the Feast of St. Simon and St. Jude, Apostles
Almighty God, You chose Your servants Simon and Jude to be numbered among the glorious company of the apostles. As they were faithful and zealous in their mission, so may we with ardent devotion make known the love and mercy of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Lord’s Prayer

TUESDAY (October 27, 2020)
In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Gospel Sentence
“…if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” (John 8:36)

Reading
“But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith.” (Romans 3:20–25)

Meditation
The righteousness of God. While it sounds stern, it is actually the sweetest of words. Why? Because God’s righteousness is what you receive through faith in Jesus Christ. That’s what He delivers to you. We call it justification, that God declares you innocent and holy and righteous for the sake of His Son, Jesus Christ.

Silence

Prayer for Holy Cross Member
Lord Jesus Christ, be with Lazarus this week. Give him your grace and teach him to learn more of your mercy with each passing day. Amen.

Prayer of the Week
Almighty and gracious Lord, pour out Your Holy Spirit on Your faithful people. Keep us steadfast in Your grace and truth, protect and deliver us in times of temptation, defend us against all enemies, and grant to Your Church Your saving peace; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Lord’s Prayer

MONDAY (October 26, 2020)

In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Gospel Sentence
“…if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” (John 8:36)

Reading
“Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.” (Romans 3:19–20)

Meditation
Every mouth may be stopped. At some point the Law teaches us to just be quiet and listen to what God has to say. Our works cannot make us right with God. The Law shows us our sin, and so at some point, there is nothing left for us to say. We are silent before God, with nothing to add, no excuses to make, nothing to give. And it is in that silence that God really begins the work of forgiving and bringing life.

Silence

Prayer for Holy Cross Member
Heavenly Father, bless Abbygail with faith in you and fervent love toward all those who cross her path this day. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Prayer of the Week
Almighty and gracious Lord, pour out Your Holy Spirit on Your faithful people. Keep us steadfast in Your grace and truth, protect and deliver us in times of temptation, defend us against all enemies, and grant to Your Church Your saving peace; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Lord’s Prayer

SUNDAY (October 25, 2020)
Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost
Reformation Day (Observed)

In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Gospel Sentence
“…if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” (John 8:36)

Reading
“Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people. And he said with a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come, and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water.”” (Revelation 14:6–7)

Meditation
Judgment is a word that is pretty negative most of the time. Don’t judge me, we might say. But here the angel flies overhead with an eternal Gospel. And what is the news this “good news” brings? Judgment. But not just any judgment, the judgment is that you are INNOCENT because of Jesus’ death and resurrection. You are vindicated. You are judged. You are free.

Silence

Prayer for Holy Cross Member
Let your grace be upon Carole O Lord, and teach her to hope in the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Prayer of the Week
Almighty and gracious Lord, pour out Your Holy Spirit on Your faithful people. Keep us steadfast in Your grace and truth, protect and deliver us in times of temptation, defend us against all enemies, and grant to Your Church Your saving peace; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Lord’s Prayer

SATURDAY (October 24, 2020)
In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Gospel Sentence
“I am the LORD, and there is no other, besides me there is no God.” (Isaiah 45:5)

Reading
“But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why put me to the test, you hypocrites? Show me the coin for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. And Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They said, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” When they heard it, they marveled. And they left him and went away.” (Matthew 22:18–22)

Meditation
Jesus comes right back at His adversaries and calls them hypocrites. It’s as if He is beginning to weary of these games they are playing with Him. He beats them at their own game and simply states the facts. There are two realms in which believers live—the civic realm, where we follow the rules of the government; and the heavenly realm where God is supreme over all, even the government.

Silence

Prayer for Holy Cross Member
O Lord, in Holy Baptism you put your Name upon Autumn. Bless her now with the forgiveness of sins and a firm trust in you. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Prayer of the Week
O God, the protector of all who trust in You, have mercy on us that with You as our ruler and guide we may so pass through things temporal that we lose not the things eternal; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Lord’s Prayer