Greetings Lebanon, God bless and keep you this week!
This coming Sunday is Judica (the Latin for “Vindicate” or “Judge” as the first word in the Introit for the Day). It was once also known as the “Passion Sunday” or the “Day of the Cross” or “Day of Black” – the latter from a black parament used to vest the altar.
The Gloria Patri (“Glory be to the Father…”) is not said or sung this Sunday as a sign of our nearing the great and terrible sacrifice of the Lamb of God, and the darkness that surrounds the event.
If any would like to learn more about the texts and traditions of the Christian Church, I’d recommend this book by Paul Zellar Strodach (It’s free to read on Google Books):
The Church Year, Studies in the Introits, Collects, Epistles and Gospels – Google Play Books
Strodach was an early 20th Century Lutheran from our East Coast Lutheran tradition (prolific in the old ULCA).
In any event, we are nearing the Holy Week and preparing for the celebration of the great mysteries of our Faith.
If any would like to serve as READERS, either for the Passion Reading from St. Matthew’s Gospel, or for the Readings on Holy Saturday’s Vigil Service, please let me or Missy Hockman know this Sunday.
For WEDNESDAY: A full day of Worship and Fellowship! Matins at 8:15, Confession and Absolution at 10:00, Midweek Communion Service at 1:30, Soup Supper at 6:00 and Evening Prayer at 7:00.For THURSDAY: Choir Rehearsal at 7pm.
Scripture Reading for the Week:
2 Cor. 5:16-6:1From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain.
Interesting Luther Quote
His flesh is not of flesh, or fleshly, but spiritual; therefore it cannot be consumed, digested, and transformed, for it is imperishable as is all that is of the Spirit, and a food of an entirely different kind from perishable food. Perishable food is transformed into the body which eats it; this food, however, transforms, the person who eats it into what it is itself, and makes him like itself, spiritual, alive, and eternal…that is what this spiritual food does: when the body eats it physically, this food digests the body’s flesh and transforms it so that it too becomes spiritual, i.e. alive and blessed forever…So, when we eat Christ’s flesh physically and spiritually, the food is so powerful that it transforms us into itself and out of fleshly, sinful, mortal men makes spiritual, holy, living men.
~ Martin Luther, “That These Words of Christ, “This is my Body,” etc., Still Stand Firm” (1527 A.D.)
