On the first Sunday in July, we celebrate the divine service for the departed and remember those who have passed away in an unredeemed state. God also offers them the chance to receive salvation in Christ and, specifically, the sacraments that are necessary for salvation. After His death on the cross, Jesus Himself descended into the realm of the dead in order to preach to the dead in “prison”. This event constitutes an essential element of the foundation that underpins our concept of salvation for the departed. The dead are invited to accept Jesus Christ as their Saviour.
The next three Sundays are devoted to petitions contained in the Lord’s Prayer. On the second Sunday, the sermon examines the petition: “Your kingdom come.” The proclamation of the kingdom of God and His righteousness was at the heart of Jesus’ message. The reign or kingdom of God began in Jesus Christ and is present in His church. The prayer for His coming is directed above all towards the ultimate fulfilment of God’s plan of salvation. The kingdom of God takes the shape of the kingdom of peace and will then be brought to completion in the new creation.
The divine service on the third Sunday focuses on the petition: “Give us this day our daily bread.” As this petition clearly shows, God is the giver of all natural and spiritual gifts. It is to God that we
owe our food and everything else that is necessary for daily life. We should not only be grateful for these favours, but also take an interest in the lot of those who lack such gifts. In addition to this, God offers us spiritual nourishment through the preaching of His word and sustains our fellowship with Jesus Christ by allowing us to partake in Holy Communion.
The sermon on the fourth Sunday addresses the petition: “And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.” It is God who forgives sins. Through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, we continually
receive God’s forgiving grace. However, forgiveness is not without its conditions: the realisation that we have sinned against God and against our neighbour is just as necessary as the resolve to avoid sin and the willingness to forgive our neighbour.
