It is one of the most common prayers of God’s child. “Lord, have mercy!” Mercy is the withholding of punishment or negative consequences that a guilty person deserves. Thus, when we pray, “Lord, have mercy,” 1) we are acknowledging that we have lived in ways deserving of God’s condemnation and punishment, and 2) we are begging God to not condemn or punish us. How important is that prayer? If you cannot say it with sincerity, you cannot be saved. For if you cannot speak that prayer, you cannot possibly believe you need a Savior. Therefore, God gave us his law, in part, so that we would see our need for mercy. St. Paul writes, “I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law” (Romans 7:7). And God gave us the gospel that we might know he has shown us mercy.
Thus, it is good and right that in this solemn season of Lent, we would review God’s law as revealed in the Ten Commandments and connect it with Christ’s passion. We will how we have shattered all the Commandments and are deserving of punishment. However, will we also see how Jesus took the suffering we deserved upon himself. Seeing both, may the Spirit empower us to pray, “Lord, have mercy!” and confidently believe that in Christ, we have God’s mercy in inexhaustible abundance.
Our worship follows this pattern:
March 12, 2025 – Midweek One – For Our Incessant Idolatry
March 19, 2025 – Midweek Two – For Demonstrating Irreverence and Despising Your Rest
March 26, 2025 – Midweek Three – For Treating Others Like Trash, Not Treasure
April 2, 2025 – Midweek Four – For Failing to Live With Integrity
April 9, 2025 – Midweek Five – For Abusing Your Commandments
Midweek Lent Services are offered in person at SOTV on Wednesdays at 6pm. The services will be livestreamed as well.
