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DEVOTION THEME OF THE WEEK : 
GOD MANIFESTED IN THE
TRANSFIGURATION OF JESUS
We begin this week reflecting on the revealed glory
of Christ at the Transfiguration.
As we go through this week,
we see how the glory of Christ is revealed even still today
through the ministry of the Word and Sacraments
given to us through the Church.
And just like those in ages past,
we rejoice when we see the glory of Christ.
May your week be blessed by these reflections on the glory of Christ
and may His glory be ever before your eyes!


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​​​BLESS YOURSELF WITH THE HOLY CROSS AND SAY : 
In the name of the Father
and of the Son
​and of the Holy Spirit.

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SAY THE APOSTLES’ CREED :
I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
Maker of heaven and earth.

And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God,
the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.


PRAY THE LORD’S PRAYER : 
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive u s our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever.
Amen.


PRAY THE MORNING OR EVENING PRAYER :​
Morning :
I thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have kept me this night from all harm and danger;
and I pray that You would keep me this day also from sin and every evil, that all my doings and life may please You.
For into Your hands I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things.
Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me.
Amen.
Evening :
​I thank you, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have graciously kept me this day;
and I pray that You would forgive me all my sins where I have done wrong, and graciously keep me this night.
For into Your hands, I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things.
Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me.
Amen. 


PRAY THE PSALM OF THE WEEK :
PSALM 77 : 18 ; 84 : 1 - 2 , 4 , 9 - 11
The lightnings lit | up the world;*                                                              
the earth trem- | bled and shook.                                            
How lovely is Your tabernacle, O | Lord of hosts!*                                  
My soul longs, yes, even faints for the courts | of the Lord.
Blessed are those who dwell | in Your house;*                                        
they will still be | praising You.                                                  
Behold, O | God our shield,*                                                                       
and look upon the face of Your A- | nointed                          
For the Lord God is a | sun and shield;*                                                    
the Lord will give grace and | glory.                                        


SAY TOGETHER THE VERSE OF THE WEEK :
2 PETER 1 : 19
“And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed,
to which you will do well to pay attention
as to a lamp shining in a dark place,
until the day dawns and the morning star
rises in your hearts.”


SUNDAY JANUARY 29, 2023
JESUS : IN AWE OF THE STRANGE
MATTHEW 17 : 1 - 9
The Transfiguration is a truly unique occurrence in the ministry of Jesus.
In that moment, Jesus’ full divine glory was revealed
as He was in the company of two icons of the Old Testament faith.
Peter responds with the desire to stay there.
Indeed, would that we all had such a desire to be in Jesus’ divine presence!
We are in the presence of Christ
as we hold Him in our hands for the Lord’s Supper
and hear His Word proclaimed from the pulpit.
May we have the same awe and desire for these gifts that we too would say,
“Lord, it is good that we are here!”
Almighty God, grant me the eyes to see
Your glorious presence and majesty
as You come to be with Your people
as we gather for worship in Your name.
Amen.


MONDAY JANUARY 30, 2023
SCRIPTURE: JESUS : THEY WERE BORN IN HER
PSALM 87
Where were you born?
Do you live near where you were born?
Some of us remain near our places of birth while others are taken far away.
Yet, there is another birth that is of more consequence:
our new birth and life given in Baptism.
We are born anew in the Church
through the work of Christ in Holy Baptism.
It is the Church that has been established by our Lord
through the preaching of the Gospel
and it is in the Church that the spring of the Gospel
is given its rightful place.
Let us rejoice that we get to dwell in Zion as God’s faithful children.
Almighty God, I thank and praise You
for the new birth given to me in baptism.
Bless me that I might rejoice in all the gifts and blessings
You have given me.
Amen.


​TUESDAY JANUARY 31, 2023
SCRIPTURE: CARRIED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT
2 PETER 1 : 16 - 21
This text is Peter’s own reflection
on His presence at the Transfiguration of Jesus.
Notice that Peter doesn’t tell people
that they should be satisfied with his own eyewitness account.
He points them to the confirmed prophecies found in Scripture.
Truly, this is of great comfort to us
who live so far removed from these events.
We can trust the Scriptures as they have been handed to us
by those who were “carried along by the Holy Spirit”
to write the inspired Word of God.
In this way, we receive the message of the Gospel
similarly to those who have received the faith before us
and those who will come after us.
Almighty God, You have given Your Word
that it might shine light upon the darkness of the world.
I thank You for revealing Your truth
of the Gospel for my salvation.
Amen.


​WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 1, 2023
SCRIPTURE: DRESSED BY CHRIST
ISAIAH 61 : 10 , 11
What does the robe of Christ’s righteousness look like?
We see an example of this in worship
with the white vestments worn by the pastors.
But even those white robes are only a representation
of the true glory of Christ that was revealed at the transfiguration.
Imagine His clothes that shone as bright as lightning!
That is what the righteousness of Christ looks like,
and it is that which you are clothed with through faith.
What joy this brings!
We are made to be more finely dressed
than someone on their wedding day.
And this is because our God has His righteousness
to spring up on earth through the righteousness of Christ
given to us that we might then praise Him.
Almighty Lord, I thank and praise You for the righteousness and salvation
You have given to me.
Amen.


​THURSDAY FEBRUARY 2, 2023
SCRIPTURE: JESUS : THE SONG OF SIMEON
LUKE 2 : 22 - 32
The Song of Simeon here is likely familiar to you.
We often sing these words after receiving the body and blood
of Jesus in the Sacrament of the Altar.
And we sing them for the same reason.
God revealed His glory to Simeon as he held the Christ in his hands,
and so Simeon is saying that he is prepared to pass from this life.
In a similar way when we sing this,
God has revealed His glory to us as we held the Christ in our hands
and our sins were forgiven as we received Him.
We too recognize that we are similarly prepared to pass from this life
if it should please our God.
Not because we welcome death for death’s own sake,
but because we are so comforted, complete, and sanctified.
Almighty God, You have made me to be Your own.
Thank You for revealing Yourself to me
through Your Word and Sacraments that I may know You all the more.
Amen.


​FRIDAY FEBRUARY 3, 2023
SCRIPTURE: ALL EYES ON CHRIST
2 CORINTHIANS 4 : 5 , 6
Have you ever been in a room
where all eyes were on someone else?
There are some who can’t tolerate this and will do whatever they can
to get attention back on themselves.
This is not the role of the Apostles or of any true servant of Christ.
Those who are faithful servants of Christ
want all attention to be on their master and to remain there.
The focus is not and cannot be the glory or fame of the one speaking,
but only the glory and fame of Christ are what matter.
It is only Christ who can save,
so who better to give our attention to than Him?
Almighty God, preserve Your Church from those who would proclaim themselves
but instead give all Your servants the desire to proclaim only Christ
and Him crucified for sinners like me.
Amen.


​SATURDAY FEBRUARY 4, 2023
SCRIPTURE: THE HEAVENS PROCLAIMED HIS GLORY
PSALM 8
The glory of God is set on display every day.
We rejoice in this only through faith.
Though everyone perceives this glory and is without excuse,
no one accepts this glory with God pleasing praise
unless he trusts Christ’s greater glory.
This is why the argument of God’s existence
based on the beauty of the world often falls on deaf ears.
Yet this does nothing to diminish the truth of God
or the favor toward creation.
We rejoice at being able to see the glorious works of God,
but we rejoice all the more at His work done for us at the cross
that we would be His own redeemed and blessed people.
Thanks be to God!
Almighty God, Your glory truly fills the whole earth.
Fill me with praises to You
that I may rejoice in all You have done for me.
Amen.


PRAY THE PRAYER OF THE WEEK :
O God, who in the glorious transfiguration of Your only-begotten Son
confirmed the mysteries of the faith by the testimony of the fathers and who,
in the voice that came from the bright cloud,
did in a wonderful manner foreshow the adoption of sons,
mercifully make us co-heirs with the King of His glory
and bring us to the enjoyment of our inheritance in heaven;
through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord,
who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.
Amen.


PRAYER FOR OURSELVES AND OTHERS

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SING OR SAY THE HYMN OF THE WEEK :
HOW LOVELY SHINES THE MORNING STAR