What a double treat! Malachi and Matthew together today. Malachi offers some soul-searching questions (he does throughout the work) - today's: do I give God the best or the left-overs? That has to do not only with our offerings; it has to do with our time and with our prioritizing of our lives. The first chapter speaks of that wonderful pure offering that will be brought and which we know to be the preaching of the Gospel (and particularly as it is proclaimed at the Lord's table) and the life that it evokes (living sacrifices!) and so the incense of prayer offered to God across the length and breadth of world in the name of Jesus, our Mediator and High Priest.
In Matthew, we had the joy of St. John's fiery preaching of repentance and the admonition to bear fruits in keeping with repentance, and then the great Theophany at the Baptism of our Lord: the mystery of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit clearly shining forth as all righteousness is fulfilled with our Lord accepting the Baptism of sinners.
This may seem like a dumb question but how often do you hold services at your church?
ReplyDeletePaul,
ReplyDeleteNot a dumb question. Divine Service is held each Saturday evening and twice on Sunday morning. If a day on the calendar of LSB falls on a weekday, we have Vespers and Divine Service for that day in the evening (unless the day is transferred to the weekend - which we do for St. Michael's, for Reformation, for All Saints, and for Epiphany).
Oh, and I left off:
ReplyDeleteWe hold Catechism Vespers on Sunday afternoons from September through the week before Palm Sunday.
We hold midweek Vespers during the seasons of Advent and Lent.
We hold midweek Matins when the school is in session (either at St. Paul's or at Trinity by alternating months).
I like these posts on today's reading in Treasury. They give me to opportunity to reflect on the texts once more.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Maria, for the kind words.
ReplyDelete