Clover Trinity Lutheran Church

MONDAY, JUNE 10

Read Colossians 3:1–4 ✦ Psalm 145:13–21

Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. Colossians 3:2

Keep On Looking Thirty years ago, my father and I restored two cars, a 1917 Ford Model T and a 1930 Ford Model A. We needed to fix or replace almost every part. While our cars were just rusty parts, I kept pictures of beautifully restored Model T’s and Model A’s in the shop. It was a choice: look at the broken parts that are here or think of the beauty that’s coming.

You don’t have to restore a Model T to have the same choice. Are you focused on the pictures of where you’re going or a goal you have, or do you see only the work you must do to get there? Our text for today gives us this same choice. Do we focus on the brokenness of this world, or do we look upward to the beauty of heaven to come?

It is so easy to see only our ordinary daily work. But God offers us so much more when He reminds us of heaven and the promises He has given, reminders that come to us in Word and Sacrament. Our future in heaven is secured by His gifts of forgiveness and salvation in Christ Jesus—a promise we can look to throughout our lives. We can only imagine the peace and joy that is coming. But we can be certain that Jesus restores us to an unimaginable beauty that is life eternal.

Lift up our eyes, Lord Jesus, to see by faith Your promises and the heaven to come. Amen.

Portals of Prayer

Lutheran Witness: June/July 2024 – The Lutheran Witness The June/July issue of The Lutheran Witness explores the book of Acts, and how our Lord worked through the first Christian community to send forth the Gospel into all the world.

HYMN OF THE DAY
Holy Trinity
May 26, 2024

Come, Holy Ghost, Creator blest (LSB 498)

1 Come, Holy Ghost, Creator blest,
And make our hearts Your place of rest;
Come with Your grace and heav'nly aid,
And fill the hearts which You have made.

2 To You, the Counselor, we cry,
To You, the gift of God Most High;
The fount of life, the fire of love,
The soul's anointing from above.

3 In You, with graces sevenfold,
We God's almighty hand behold
While You with tongues of fire proclaim
To all the world His holy name.

4 Your light to ev'ry thought impart,
And shed Your love in ev'ry heart;
The weakness of our mortal state
With deathless might invigorate.

5 Drive far away our wily foe,
And Your abiding peace bestow;
With You as our protecting guide,
No evil can with us abide.

6 Teach us to know the Father, Son,
And You, from both, as Three in One
That we Your name may ever bless
And in our lives the truth confess.

7 Praise we the Father and Son,
And Holy Spirit, with them One,
And may the Son on us bestow
The gifts that from the Spirit flow

+Service of the Word+
Holy Trinity
May 26, 2024

Old Testament Reading Isaiah 6:1–8
1In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3And one called to another and said:
“Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory!”
4And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. 5And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!”
6Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.”
8And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.”

Second Reading Acts 2:14a, 22–36
14Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them, . . .
22“Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— 23this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. 24God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. 25For David says concerning him,
“‘I saw the Lord always before me,
for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken;
26therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced;
my flesh also will dwell in hope.
27For you will not abandon my soul to Hades,
or let your Holy One see corruption.
28You have made known to me the paths of life;
you will make me full of gladness with your presence.’
29“Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 30Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, 31he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. 32This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. 33Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. 34For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says,
“‘The Lord said to my Lord,
Sit at my right hand,
35until I make your enemies your footstool.’
36Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”

Holy Gospel John 3:1–17
1Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” 3Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” 5Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
9Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” 10Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things? 11Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. 12If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. 14And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.
16“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”

We invite you to memorize Numbers 6:24–26 with us this week.
Memorizing Scripture is a valuable practice for Christians, even in a digital age. Join us each week as we hide God's Word in our hearts (Psalm 119:11).
Full list at https://lcms.org/memoryverse.

Confess the Holy Trinity with the Athanasian Creed The Athanasian Creed is confessed on Trinity Sunday. LCMS Worship has produced multiple formats of the creed, including sung and spoken, for congregational use. (The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod)

Prayer of the Church
The Holy Trinity
26 May 2024

In peace, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.

For an ever-growing understanding of the depths of God’s riches, wisdom and knowledge through His Word, that we may glorify Him forever, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.

For Matthew, our Synod president; our district president; our circuit visitor; and our pastor(s), that in whatever the Lord asks of them, they would always say, “Here I am! Send me,” let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.

For a faith that believes Christ was delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God to be our Savior; and that our hearts may be glad, our tongues rejoice and our flesh dwell in hope, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.

For all who rule us, that the Lord, enthroned as King forever, would bless them with wisdom and understanding, that truth and justice may prevail in our land and lawlessness may be kept at bay, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.

For a long memory to recall those who gave the full measure of devotion to our country’s peace and security and served faithfully until death in the protection of our freedom and in the defense of our land, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.

For all who suffer in our midst, that the Lord of hosts would uphold them in the truth that, since He is at their right hand, they cannot be shaken; and that He would gladden their hearts, cause their tongues to rejoice and make their flesh dwell in hope, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.

For all who commune, that by Christ’s cleansing body and blood on our lips, our guilt may be taken away and our sin atoned for; and that we would not be lost but abide in His holy presence forever, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.

O Lord, heavenly Father, we gratefully remember the sufferings and death of Your dear Son, Jesus Christ, for our salvation. Rejoicing in His victorious resurrection from the dead, we draw strength from His ascension before You, where He ever stands for us as our own High Priest. Gather us together from the ends of the earth to celebrate with all the faithful the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which has no end. Graciously receive our prayers, deliver and preserve us, for to You alone we give all glory, honor and worship, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

We invite you to memorize Mark 10:45 with us this week.
Memorizing Scripture is a valuable practice for Christians, even in a digital age. Join us each week as we hide God's Word in our hearts (Psalm 119:11).
Full list at https://lcms.org/memoryverse.

Prayer of the Church
Second Sunday of Easter
7 April 2024

In peace, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.

For the Church reborn in Christ, that nurtured by the pure milk of His Word, we may grow to maturity of faith and have everlasting life, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.

For those who bring us God’s Word and Sacraments, that they would be granted the gift of the Spirit, wisdom that comes down from above, and grace to faithfully fulfill their holy calling where He has placed them, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.

For the Church in her works of mercy, that she would be united in the common life and love of our Savior and so share that life and love with those in need, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.

For the households of God’s people, that begotten in Holy Baptism, we may grow in His grace and share together in His forgiveness and life, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.

For all who make, administer and judge the laws of our land, that they would be given wisdom, integrity and honor to serve according to God’s good will, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.

For the troubled in our midst, that Christ’s wounds would continue to bring His gladness, peace and comforting presence to His disciples; and for those who weep, that in the difficult night of this world they would confidently expect the blessed joy of Easter morning, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.

For all who eat and drink the crucified and risen body and blood of our Lord, that they would taste that He is good and continually grow up into His salvation, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.

Lord God, heavenly Father, we thank You that out of Your indescribable grace, for the sake of Your Son, You have given us the Holy Gospel and instituted the blessed Sacraments, that through them we may have comfort and the forgiveness of sin. Grant us Your Holy Spirit, that we may heartily believe Your Word, and through the Holy Sacraments establish our faith day by day, until at last we obtain eternal salvation; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

From heathen to heretic to one of the great Church fathers known for defending against heresy, Augustine's life is a testament to the work of the Holy Spirit. Click here or the link in our bio to read the full story: https://thelc.ms/4aHzR0y