St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Pomona

Today we commemorate Nicholas of Myra, Pastor. You probably know him well as Santa Claus (which comes into the English from the Dutch for "Saint Nicholas," "Sin...te Klaas"). He died in AD 342, and was Bishop in Myra (now in modern day Turkey). While historically, very little is known, Nicholas is known for defending the faith against Arius, and for his generosity, a tradition which has followed his name across countries and continents. In Europe on this day, it is tradition in many homes to give small gifts in honor of the Saint who is seen as the friend of all those in desperate circumstances and in need. One story has it that when he overheard the daughters of a poor family saying they must soon turn to prostitution, he threw bags of money through their windows to save them from this fate. The most important thing about Saint Nicholas, however, was his confession of the Christ who was both fully God and fully Man against the Arian heresy. This, we too, confess. Let us pray: "Almighty God, You bestowed upon Your servant Nicholas of Myra the perpetual gift of charity. Grant Your Church the grace to deal in generosity and love with children and with all who are poor and distressed and to plead the cause of those who have no helper, especially those tossed by tempests of doubt or grief. We ask this for the sake of Him who gave His life for us, Your Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen." Prayer quoted from and description adapted from Treasury of Daily Prayer page 989. Image: 18th Century Russian Icon, from Wikimedia Commons. Public Domain.

Join us for our Advent bible study at 11:00AM on Sunday December 6th, 13th, and 20th as we prepare our hearts for the coming of Christ. Through the hearing of God's word we joyfully await the world's Savior!

THANKSGIVING EVE SERVICE 7:00 p.m., Wednesday, November 25, 2020 ALL are invited to join us for an evening of thanksgiving and prayer at our Thanksgiving Eve service.... Oh, give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! Psalms 107:1

On October 31, 1517, an Augustinian monk posted ninety-five statements for discussion on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany. Dr. Martin Luthe...r hoped that posting his theses would bring about an academic debate regarding repentance, the sale of indulgences, and other matters of concern within the Roman Catholic Church. However, Rome eventually excommunicated Luther, judging him to be a heretic. Luther’s reforms, centered on the teaching that a believer is justified by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, sparked religious reforms not only in the German states but also in many European countries. In 1667, Elector John George II of Saxony standardized the custom of observing Luther’s posting of the ninety-five theses on October 31 as Reformation Day. Let us Pray: "Almighty and gracious Lord, pour out Your Holy Spirit on Your faithful people. Keep us steadfast in Your grace and truth, protect and deliver us in ties of temptation, defend us against all enemies, and grant to Your Church Your saving peace; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. Prayer quoted from and description adapted from Treasury of Daily Prayer. Image: Luther’s 95 Theses by Ferdinand Pauwels. Public Domain.

Lord, give us the spirit of Psalm 119. Teach us to love Your Word. Show us Your steadfast mercy in every verse. Give us the faith to believe that all You have s...aid is true and that all Your promises will be fulfilled in Christ. Let us seek You with our whole heart and find You in Your Word. Amen. See more

On August 15, the Church remembers His servant Mary, the mother of our Lord. "Mary confesses that the foremost work God did for her was that He regarded her, wh...ich is indeed the greatest of His works, on which all the rest depend and from which they all service. For where it comes to pass that God turns His face toward one to regard him, there is nothing but grace and salvation, and all gifts and works must follow. Thus we read in Genesis 4:4,5 that He had regard for Abel and his offering, but for Cain and his offering He had no regard. Here is the origin of the many prayers in the Psalter- that God would lift up His countenance upon us, that He would not hide His countenance from us, that He would make His face shine upon us, and the like. And that Mary herself regards this as the chief thing, she indicates by saying: "Behold, since He has regarded me, all generations will call me blessed."" Almighty God, You chose the Virgin Mary to be the mother of Your only Son. Grant that we, who are redeemed by His blood, may share with her in the glory of Your eternal kingdom; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. ~ Reading: Martin Luther ~ Prayer: Collect of the Day ~ Artwork: Pieta by William Bouguereau

What does the word "truth" mean? Download the August Everyday Faith Calendar: https://myc.ph/30eaGS6

Today we remember the three siblings with which Jesus had a special bond. Mary, Martha and Lazarus lived in the town of Bethany, near Jerusalem. On one occasion..., Jesus visited their house where Martha bustled around in the kitchen while Mary chose to sit at Jesus’ feet hearing His Word. Four days after Lazarus died, Jesus came to their house and spoke the well-known resurrection verse: I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me, though he die, yet shall he live. (John 11:25) Jesus then proceeded to raise Lazarus from the dead. Mary anointed Jesus’ feet and wiped them with her hair a few days before He was crucified. Let us pray: Heavenly Father, Your beloved Son befriended frail humans like us to make us Your own. Teach us to be like Jesus’ dear friends from Bethany, that we might serve Him faithfully like Martha, learn from Him earnestly like Mary, and ultimately be raised by Him like Lazarus. Through their Lord and ours, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. Prayer quoted from and description adapted from Treasury of Daily Prayer, pg. 571-572. Image: St Lazarus between Martha and Mary by Lazaro Galdiano. Public Domain.

"Trials always come. You have yours; I have mine. They tempt us to believe that the Gospel is not ours, that Scripture is not true, that God does not really love us, that He might even hate us and want to punish us, if He exists at all."