Prayer of Thanksgiving: Thank God for the faith we have, even though it may be small, it is still a gift from God. Thank him also for the love that he shows his people not based on what we do but what his Son has done for us.

Prayer of Supplication: Ask God to change the hearts of our civil servants so they could turn and be saved and that they would revere his laws for our land.

Bible reading and commentary:

Read: 1 Corinthians 16:13-18

In verses 13-18, Paul gives his final instructions to the Corinthian Christians. He exhorts them to persevere in faith and love and to submit to the godly leaders appointed over them. In chapter 16:13-14 Paul gives a concise summary of Christian ethics. In the face of Satan’s relentless attacks, Christian “soldiers” must remain armed for battle by being vigilant, firm in their faith, full of courage, strong of spirit, and motivated by love.

Likewise, Paul’s warm commendation of the household of Stephanas gives commentators one last opportunity to articulate the qualities of Christian leadership and respect those leaders deserve. The fact that Paul praises the household of Stephanas for being “devoted to the service of the saints” has nothing to do with the Catholic misunderstanding of saints, but illustrates that all Christian believers, whether they be princes or paupers, are the “saints” of God in need of pastoral care. Finally, several commentators point out the various intense emotions that Paul displays in this passage and throughout his writings – clear proof that Christian life and ministry does not require a kind of Stoic indifference, but engages in the full spectrum of human feelings, including joy and sadness, hopefulness and disappointment.

Luther comments: True fellowship is divine and heavenly; it is the noblest, surpassing copper or lead; it is the communion of saints, in which we all are brothers and sisters, so near to one another that greater nearness could never be conceived. For there is one baptism, one Christ, one sacrament, one meal, one gospel, one faith, one Spirit, one spiritual body, and each one is a member of the other; no other brotherhood is so deep and close.

But if you say, “Unless I get something through the fellowship, of what use is it?” The answer is, “You serve the community and other peoples as love does, you will have your reward without any seeking or desiring of it.” Love serves freely, which is why God in return also gives to it every blessing, freely and without charge. Because all things must be done in love if they are to be well pleasing to God, the community must also be in love. Yet what is done in love can by its nature not seek its own; instead it seeks the benefit of others; and especially the congregation. As you find your trust in Christ and his dear saints growing in strength, your certainty grows of their love toward you, and how they will stand by you in all the troubles of life and death. Therefore your love goes out to each one and you desire to help everyone, hate no one, suffer with all, and pray for all. Again, if you take to heart the shortcomings and lapses of all Christians and of the whole church, or the fall of anyone , and your love is given to them all, so that you would readily help anyone, hate no one, sympathize with all, and pray for them, then all is well. This rather long quote comes from Luther’s Works titled The Sacrament of the Body of Christ. LW 35:70, 72

John Owen on biblical love: Take but this one word [love] to discover to you whether you walk in your obedience under a sense of the constraining power of Christ; it comprehends all others: “His commandments are not grievous.” (1 John 5:3). When a soul works out of love, what it does is not grievous. And the inward and outward commands of Christ will be grievous to all that are not under the constraining power and efficacy of His love.