Church Year

1st Reading: Isaiah 30:18-21
Epistle: Ephesians 2:19-22
Gospel: John 14:1-14

Color: Red

Hymn of the Day: 861 Christ be my leader by night as by day

St. Philip and St. James, Apostles

Of the four Gospels, St. Philip figures most prominently in the Gospel of John. Philip came from Bethsaida, and answered Jesus' call ("Follow me"), and was instrumental in the call of St. Nathanael (probably St. Bartholomew the Apostle), whom he brought to Jesus (John 1:43-51).

His two most notable appearances in the narrative are as a link to the Greek-speaking Jewish community: Philip introduces members of this community to Jesus (John 12:20-36) and, during the Last Supper when he asked Jesus to reveal the Father, receiving the answer, "Have I been with you so long, and yet you do not know me, Philip? He who has seen me has seen the Father." (John 14:8-9)

Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org "Philip the Apostle"
http://www.britannica.com "Saint Philip the Apostle"

Saint James is one of the Twelve Apostles, called St. James the Less or St. James the Little.

James is mentioned only in connection with his mother Mary of Clopas (Mark 15:40, Mark 16:1, Matthew 27:56). In Mark 15:40 and Matthew 27:56 he is accompanied by a brother called Joses or Joseph.

James is the brother of Christ. Mark 15:40 associates James with his mother Mary and brother Joses. And, in Mark 6:3, when referring to Jesus, the people asked if He was not the son of Mary and brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon.

Source:
http://www.encyclopedia.com "Saint James"
http://en.wikipedia.org "James the Less"

Athanasius of Alexandria

Athanasius was born in Alexandria in Egypt in A.D. 295. He served as a church leader in a time of great controversy and ecclesiastical disagreements. At the Council of Nicaea in 325, he defended Christian orthodoxy against the proponents of the Arian heresy, which denied the full divinity of Jesus Christ. During his 45-year tenure as bishop of Alexandria, Athanasius wrote numerous works that defended the orthodox teaching. His enemies had him exiled five times; on two occasions he was almost murdered. Yet Athanasius remained steadfast and ended his days restored fully to his church responsibilities. The Athanasian Creed, though not composed by Athanasius, is named in his honor because it confesses the doctrinal orthodoxy he championed throughout his life.

Source: www.LCMS.org Commemorations Biographies

1st Reading: Acts 6:1-9; 7:2a, 51-60
Epistle: 1 Peter 2:2-10
Gospel: John 14:1-14

Psalm 146

Color: White

Hymn of the Day: 633 At the Lamb's high feast we sing

Friedrich Wyneken, Pastor and Missionary

Friedrich Wyneken is one of the founding fathers of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, along with C.F.W. Walther and Wilhelm Sihler. Born in 1810 in Germany, he came to Baltimore in 1838 and shortly thereafter accepted a call to be the pastor of congregations in Friedheim and Fort Wayne, Indiana. Supported by Wilhelm Loehe's mission society, Wyneken served as an itinerant missionary in Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan, particularly among Native Americans. Together with Loehe and Sihler, he founded Concordia Theological Seminary in 1846 in Fort Wayne, Ind. He later served as the second president of the LCMS during a period of significant growth (1850-64). His leadership strongly influenced the confessional character of the LCMS and its commitment to an authentic Lutheran witness.

Source: www.LCMS.org Commemorations Biographies

Frederick the Wise

Frederick the Wise, elector of Saxony from 1486 to 1525, was Martin Luther's sovereign in the early years of the Reformation. Were it not for Frederick, there might not have been a Lutheran Reformation. Born in Torgau in 1463, he became so well known for his skill in political diplomacy and his sense of justice and fairness that he was called "the Wise" by his subjects. Though he never met Luther, Frederick repeatedly protected and provided for him. In all likelihood he saved the reformer from a martyr's fate. Frederick refused the pope's demand to extradite Luther to Rome for a heresy trial in 1518. When Emperor Charles V declared Luther an outlaw in 1521 at the Diet of Worms, Frederick provided sanctuary for Luther at the Wartburg castle. On his deathbed, Frederick received the Lord's Supper in both kinds--a clear confession of the evangelical faith.

Source: www.LCMS.org Commemorations Biographies

C.F.W. Walther

Carl Ferdinand Wilhelm Walther (1811 - 1887), the father of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, served as its first president from 1847 to 1850 and then again from 1864 to 1878. In 1839 he emigrated from Saxony, Germany, with other Lutherans, who settled in Missouri. He served as pastor of several congregations in St. Louis, founded Concordia Seminary, and in 1847 was instrumental in the formation of the LCMS (then called the Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Missouri, Ohio, and Other States). Walther worked tirelessly to promote confessional Lutheran teaching and doctrinal agreement among all Lutherans in the United States. He was a prolific writer and speaker. Among his most influential works are Church and Ministry and The Proper Distinction between Law and Gospel.

Source: www.LCMS.org Commemorations Biographies

Job, Patriarch

Job was a blameless and upright man who came from Uz (Job 1:1), a land northeast of Canaan. The Book of Job examines the depths of his faith, which was severely tested through the sufferings God permitted. Despite the sudden death of his ten children and the loss of all his wealth and his health, Job refused to curse God: "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return; the Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord" (1:21). Still, in the midst of his tribulations Job questioned the meaning and purpose of suffering to the point of asserting his own righteousness (34:5-6). Finally, the Lord revealed that a man cannot know the mysteries of God (chapters 38-41). Job's faith in his Redeemer and the resurrection prevailed (19:25-27). In the end the Lord restored his wealth and blessed him with another seven sons and three daughters.

Source: www.LCMS.org Commemorations Biographies