Good morning: At the beginning of King Solomon’s reign, the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Ask for whatever you wish.” Solomon requested the wisdom needed to faithfully rule God’s people. God granted him unmatched wisdom along with many other blessings. It’s just one example of how God loves to give lavish gifts. He invites us to come to without hesitation like children who aren’t afraid to ask their father for whatever they want. So at the beginning of a new year, what will you ask our heavenly Father for? Perhaps you have already asked that He would preserve your faith in Jesus throughout the coming months. We need protection from Satan and his temptations. We need the spiritual food of the Word and Sacrament. We pray the Lord will keep us and our loved ones healthy. Maybe you are praying for a different job or new friendships. Fellow believers, both those we know personally and those who are thousands of miles away, are facing trials of all sorts in 2021, so we pray for them too. Scripture reminds us that government is put in place by God for our benefit. We pray that He will give our leaders the gifts and dedication to do their work faithfully. There are countless other topics for our prayers, but they can all be summed up with a simple four-word request: “Your will be done!” We are children of God rescued from sin and death by our Brother Jesus, who suffered the penalty for sin on the cross. We love Him because He first loved us. We want His will for 2021 to be done, not our own. His will is that all would come to repentance and trust in Jesus’ goodness, not their own. His will is that all people would find peace in the forgiveness of sins, and that peace in Christ would show in compassion and a forgiving spirit toward others. His will is that we would use every opportunity to spread the Christmas message of a Savior everywhere there are people to hear it. As we begin this fresh new year, the Lord says to us, “Ask for whatever you wish me to give you.” Along with our list of specific needs and wants, let’s pray, “Lord, above all, Your will be done among us and in all the world!” Yours in Christ, Pastor Services are at 8:00 and 10:45 a.m. The Lord’s Supper will be celebrated. Bible class is at 9:30 a.m. We continue our study of Luther’s Large Catechism. Here is the link for service signup: https://tinyurl.com/y2j5r8sn Signing up for the Sunday service by 6 p.m. Saturday is appreciated and helpful and a way of showing Christian love for one another. It gives the Elders and ushers an idea of how many people to prepare for. When you sign up you can also see how full the service will be, and if you wish, consider attending the other service. By signing up, you can easily be informed if that were advisable because of contact with someone at the service who later became ill. The governor’s mask order is still in effect for all indoor spaces, including churches. Masks are available in the entry if you forget yours.
