Worship Helps--Ninth Sunday after Pentecost

Lessons for Proper 13 (Lutheran Service Book)
Exodus 16:2–15 ~ God provided quail and manna for the Israelites in the wilderness.
Ephesians 4:1–16 ~ Christ nourishes His body, the Church as He builds us up in the unity of the Spirit.
John 6:22–35 ~ Jesus is the Bread of Life and far more valuable than bread which molds and spoils.

GATHERING THE TEXTS: “Food for Eternal Life”
God sent manna and quail to keep the Israelites alive in the wilderness. That was food for the desert. Years later in Galilee, the crowd that had enjoyed Jesus’ bread in the late afternoon learned that God had provided an even greater food for heaven. Jesus is the Bread for Eternal Life. Just as the manna fed the whole company of the Israelites and the bread strengthened the crowd on the hillside, so Jesus nourishes the body of believers in the bond of peace and keeps us united to serve one another with His gifts of love in the unity of the Spirit.

PRAYER BEFORE THE SERVICE: Merciful Father, thank You for giving me faith in Jesus, Your own Son. May my life be enriched and nourished for eternity by the Bread from Heaven, so that I may not struggle desperately for the things I need each day, but accept them gratefully from Your generous hand -- and as generously, share them with others. Amen.

STEWARDSHIP THOUGHT: God provided food for the daily needs of His people, but the bread that was stashed away as a hedge against God’s bounty, spoiled the next day. Why do we work so hard to keep the things that God provides, instead of sharing the one thing that keeps us all in God’s love – Jesus, the Bread of Life?

OFFERING PRAYER: Bread from Heaven, much of what we have today Only serves our wants and quickly wastes away. Bless these earthly gifts to serve You mightily, Feeding hungry hearts with Life eternally. Amen.

This Week at Mt. Olive

Good evening, fellow redeemed!

This past Friday, my family and I went fishing. I had established the goal of going fishing twice each week. I think this was the first week we had hit it. Tuesday night, we endured wind, surfers, and snagged lines. No “keepers” of any kind were caught. Friday would be different! We left the house and things went downhill from there. None of the bait shacks on the island had live shrimp. In Port Aransas, where we were going anyway, we finally bought some of the elusive critters.

It was then that the usual fun started. Getting lines ready and in the water, followed by waiting. The only thing caught in the first hour or so was…a couple of blue crabs. Then came the bright idea: let’s catch crabs! Kathy went to the local grocery, bringing back some over-aged chicken and string. No bites on either kind of line. We moved to a different location. Still nothing, except the kids had a ball watching the dolphins.

In my return to get the van, I noticed a family using a different kind of crabbing implement. Let’s get some of these – that was my reasoning. Back to the store. Bring the lines out, refit them, and get them back in the water. Still nothing (hermit crabs don’t count). Back to the pier, where we had started. Crab and fish for another hour. Nothing except a sunburn. It was a fun trip, but, in the end, fruitless.

That brings to mind some words from Hebrews.
He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself (7:27).

But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption (9:11-12).

But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself (9:26b).

And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all (10:10).

What’s huge in all of these verse is the phrase “once for all”! The true God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, did not dally in looking at different ways of saving sinners. He didn’t decide which methods would work for which people. Instead, “once for all,” according to the Father’s plan of salvation, the Son became flesh, willingly offering Himself to the death of the cross – once for all – to suffer the punishment of sin. The Spirit, working through message of the once-for-all sacrifice of Jesus, brings sinners to faith in their Lord Jesus to the glory of their heavenly Father.

Will we go back to fishing and crabbing? Undoubtedly! As a matter of fact, I go back with the dream that, somewhere in that water, there’s a “big ‘un” waiting to latch onto my hook!

Each day, you and I live with the assurance of the “once for all” sacrifice of our Lord Jesus, who offered Himself, sprinkling His holy and precious blood for sacrifice, and entering into the Holy of Holies of His Father, pleading the case for sinners like you and me.

Kathy, the kids, and I will be out of town this week. If you have a special need, please contact your elder (look in the directory) or the Church Office. One of the area pastors will be covering in the event of an emergency.

God bless!
PKJ

Prayer Concerns This Week:
Those who travel, that their journeys be safe and their homecomings joyful
The defenseless – the unborn, the aged, the dying – that God would move His people to protect them
Those who mourn the loss of loved ones, especially those who mourn the deaths of their children
Those serving in our armed forces – that our Lord would protect them by His might and enable them to do their assigned duties faithfully
The families of those who are serving in our armed forces – that our Lord would strengthen them in their waiting
Pastor Eckert, our circuit counselor, and the pastors in our circuit, that God would keep them faithful to their callings and enable them to preach His word with power

This Week at Mt. Olive:
Monday, July 27
Zumba Aerobics, 6:30 p.m.

Wednesday, 29 JUL
Deadline for the August Olive Branch, 12 p.m.

Zumba Aerobics, 6:30 p.m.

The Lutheran Blog Directory---We're There!

Many, many thanks to The Lutheran Blog Directory (lutheranblogs.blogspot.com)for listing our blog in their directory! There is a link for their site in "Links of Interest" on our site. I encourage everyone to take a look at that site for a broad, broad view of all things Lutheran in the blogging world. They do a great job!

St. James the Elder, July 25th

James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came forward to him and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” And he said to them, “What is it you want me to do for you?” And they said to him, “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.” But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” They replied, “We are able.” Then Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you will drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized; but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.” When the ten heard this, they began to be angry with James and John. So Jesus called them and said to them, “You know that among the Gentiles those whom they recognize as their rulers lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. But it is not so among you; but whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all. For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.” Mark 10:35-45

One of the great consolations I have as I read Holy Scripture is the profound “human-ness” of it. The people of God, even the great heroes of the Faith, are presented as they truly are–blemishes and all.
The scene before us looks, for all the world, like a scene from one of those “Reality-Based” TV shows such as Survivor or The Real World. The pettiness and self-serving attitudes of those called by the Lord to lead his Church is shocking-- but also distressingly familiar.
For example, does the prayer of John and his brother James sound like something you’ve heard before? It did to me! To my shame, it is a prayer I pray all too often–“Lord, give me what I want!”
What about the attitude of the other ten disciples? Have we ever been angry at other’s attempts to “climb the corporate ladder” using us as rungs? Have we ever dismissed the success of others–certain that they had an unfair advantage over us? Have we ever wished we had thought of it first?
Much too often our hearts reveal a deep-seated selfishness that shows up in our relationship with others and even in our relationship with God. We are at the center of the cosmos and even God exists to serve our needs. This, of course, is nothing other than the sin of idolatry–the first sin, and the one that is at the root of all others.
How different is the attitude and approach of Jesus. Though he was God in the flesh, he laid aside his divine glory to take the form of a servant–the Creator in the form of his creatures–to offer up the ultimate service by giving his life as a ransom for we poor self-centered sinners.
His sacrificial service has set us free from our bondage to selfishness and sin! He has shown us that the way to true greatness is found in being a servant to others.
On the Feast Day of St. James, the Elder we thank God for his undeserved mercy towards us that rescued us from our selfishness and sinfulness and we pray that He would make us into his faithful servants.

Weekly Poll--A New Feature

Each week or so I will try to get together a poll having to do with all things Lutheran. This week's poll has to do with one of the Blue Ribbon Task Force's (BRTFSSG) considerations: a name change for the Missouri Synod. I hope that you will take time to register your opinion. Also, if you have suggestions about future polls, I would be glad to consider them.

St. Mary Magdalene--July 22

Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don't know where they have put him!"…but Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus' body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot. They asked her, "Woman, why are you crying?" "They have taken my Lord away," she said, "and I don't know where they have put him." At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus. "Woman," he said, "why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?" Thinking he was the gardener, she said, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him." Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (which means Teacher). Jesus said, "Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, `I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.' " Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: "I have seen the Lord!" And she told them that he had said these things to her.

St. Mary Magdelene is one of the most misunderstood people in the Bible. What we do know for sure is this: Mary was from the town of Magdala on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. At one point in her life she had been delivered from seven demons. She financially supported the work of Jesus and the Twelve from her own means. She was a witness to the death and resurrection of Jesus and carried that news to the Twelve.
The truth about her life is not as salacious, and so, perhaps, not as interesting as we thought, but nevertheless, significant.

St. Mary Magdelene is a wonderful example of the power of Jesus Christ to transform human lives--even lives that seem broken beyond repair. While we don’t know how the demonic influence manifested itself in Mary’s life, we do know that Satan and his angels were no match for Jesus. Rescued from the power of Satan by Jesus, Mary became His devoted disciple and a valued co-worker in the Kingdom.

She courageously remained with her Lord at his crucifixion (when the disciples hid in fear!) and she was blessed to have been one of the first witnesses to Christ’s resurrection which she boldly proclaimed to others without fear of ridicule.
There is much we can learn from her life and put into practice in our own life: the faith to believe that with God all things are possible—the willingness to share our wealth for the sake of the Gospel—the courage to boldly witness to the Good News of Christ crucified and risen from the dead.

Let us pray: Almighty God, whose blessed Son restored Mary Magdalene to health of body and of mind, and called her to be a witness of his resurrection: Mercifully grant that by your grace we may be healed from all our infirmities and know you in the power of his unending life; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Pastor and Melissa Strimple and girls

Please make a point of welcoming Pastor Strimple and his family to the Coastal Bend!