Congregation at Prayer

Catechesis Notes for the Week — Psalm 122: A Prayer for the City of God—What is the Lord’s city on earth? It is the Church of Jesus Christ, the congregation of all the baptized faithful among whom the Gospel is preached, and the Sacraments are administered. When David prays for “the house of the Lord,” Jerusalem, and the palaces of the Lord we should understand that this refers to the Church. At the heart of the “City of God” on earth is faith and the gift of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of all believers, but it has very real and concrete outward expressions. Confessing before the world, public preaching, the Sacraments, and the gathering together of the baptized faithful to receive these gifts is how the outward ministry of Word and Sacraments creates and nourishes the gift of faith in Christ and the fruits of love to others. So, David prays, “I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go into the house of the Lord.’ Our feet have been standing within your gates, O Jerusalem!  Our Divine service is that “Jerusalem” and “House of the Lord” today.  David not only recognized the necessity to gather together to receive God’s gifts, but He rejoiced to do so because the Lord’s Word and Sacraments are the source of salvation and comfort for every Christian. Many tribes and nations flood into the Church. We rejoice in the testimony of the Lord’s blood shed for our forgiveness. We pray for the peace of the Church and the prosperity of all who enter into her.

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Catechesis Notes for the Week — Psalm 121: A Prayer for the Preservation of Your Faith—The Songs of Ascent were prayed by the Old Testament faithful as the priest entered the Holy Place to intercede for the congregation. Psalm 121 is a prayer for the individual believer and for the whole congregation. The God of salvation is He who made the heavens and the earth. Our God is not only the God of salvation, but also the God who is the Creator and Preserver of all things. So, the psalm begins, “I will lift up my eyes to the hills—From whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” “Help” is a reference to salvation and the preservation of our faith. It is as if the psalmist were praying, “My salvation comes from the Lord…the Preservation of my faith comes from the Lord…My protection from all enemies who seek to destroy me comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” Our prayers, like Psalm 121, are always based upon the foundation of the sure and certain promises of the Lord. He will not allow us to stumble. He never slumbers or sleeps. He is the one who keeps or shelters us from harm. He is the one who preserves us from evil. He protects us as we go in and out from the Divine Service where He refreshes our faith and comforts us with His forgiveness and mercy. He who keeps the individual Christian and preserves him in the faith is also He who keeps and preserves the Church: “He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.” All of this is so, “from this time forth, and even forevermore.” Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. CP210822

Catechesis Notes for the Week — Psalm 120: A Prayer for Relief from Bitter Foes—Psalm 120 is a brief cry to the Lord for deliverance from those who oppose the faith of Christians with lies and deceit. “Lying lips” and “a deceitful tongue” is a reference to all false teachers who not only oppose the faith, but by their false doctrine lead people astray. The psalmist asks the question, “What shall be done to those who preach false doctrine?” In the end, the Lord will bring His judgment upon them. Meschech is outside the Promised Land in the southeast of Asia minor. It signifies a foreign land which does not know the Lord. Christians are on a pilgrimage through a world of unbelief and rejection of the truth. The tents of Kedar were black and inhabited by Arabians who did not worship the Lord. Like Meschech, dwelling among the tents of Kedar signifies how the Christian is in the world of unbelief and false doctrine, but not of the world. Under similar circumstances today, we call upon the Lord. Our lament parallels that of the psalmist, “My soul has dwelt too long with one who hates peace (the Gospel). I am for peace; but when I speak, they are for war.” This timely psalm is a prayer for the Church today in the midst of a world which is increasingly hostile to the Gospel. It is called a “Song of Ascent” because it was prayed after the burnt offering as the congregation entered into the presence of the Lord for the very help and deliverance for which the psalm prays.

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Catechesis Notes for the Week — Psalm 119: Shin and Tau—Meditations on the Word of God—Psalm 119 concludes with the Shin and Tau sections. Love for the Word of God is the cause of hatred and persecution from those who do not believe in the Lord. Love for the Word of God is also the source of peace and rejoicing for the Christian, especially in the midst of hardship and persecution. The Word of God inspires awe and reverence in the hearts of those who believe. The Word of God causes an aversion toward things that are evil. The Word of God gives peace to those who receive it. The Word of God upholds us so that we do not stumble. The Word of God gives us understanding and wisdom. It is the basis for our supplications and prayers to God. The Word of the Lord is the foundation of our confession of faith in Christ and all that we believe. The Word of God declares us righteous and bestows the gift of salvation. In the Shin and Tau sections of Psalm 119, word, law, righteous judgments, commandments, testimonies, precepts, and judgments are references to the Word of God. The Word of God gives assurance to the Christian that though we may stumble, the Lord will continually seek for us like a shepherd searching for a lost sheep.

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Catechesis Notes for the Week — Psalm 119: Qoph and Resh—Meditations upon the Word of God—Is there anything that we need for life and salvation for which God’s Word is not the source? No! The Word of the Lord is the fountain and source of everything that we need. In the Qoph section of Psalm 119, the psalmist speaks of the linkeage between the Word of God and prayer. God speaks to us and prayer, as the voice of faith in God’s Word, speaks to God for everything that we need according to His Word. “I rise before the dawning of the morning and cry for help; I hope in Your word.” God hears our prayers on the basis of His loving promises to us in Christ. In this section, statutes, testimonies, word, and commandments are the references to the Word of God. In the Resch section of Psalm 119, the psalmist cries out to the Lord for deliverance from affliction, for the revival of his soul, for salvation renewal in the Word of God. Our relationship with God and everything we need from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ comes from His Word. In this section, law, word, statutes, judgments, and testimonies are references to the Word of God.

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