Preaching and Teaching from St. John Ev. Lutheran Church (Sherman Center), Random Lake, Wisconsin

02/19: The Death of the Firstborn Is Announced—Exodus 11:1-10

·30 min·3 clips

Pastor Gillespie leads the Apostles' Creed, affirming belief in God's creation and Jesus' resurrection.

Pastor Gillespie leads a daily devotional focused on the Congregation at Prayer guide. This episode is a recorded prayer and meditation session from St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church. The date of the recording is Thursday, February 19, 2026, following Ash Wednesday services. The session opens with the pastor greeting listeners and referencing the previous night's Ash Wednesday service. He mentions the service included the imposition of ashes and a specific litany. Pastor Gillespie notes the sermon from that service is available in video and podcast formats. He encourages using either this recording or printed materials for daily prayer. The devotional formally begins with an invocation in the name of the Trinity. The core content is the recitation of the Apostles' Creed. The creed professes belief in God as creator and in Jesus Christ's conception, birth, and suffering under Pontius Pilate. It states the belief that Jesus was crucified, died, and was buried before descending into hell. The creed affirms the resurrection on the third day and Christ's ascension into heaven. It concludes with the belief in Christ's future return to judge the living and the dead and a statement of belief in the Holy Spirit. The episode directly connects the liturgical observance of Ash Wednesday to personal, daily devotional practice. Pastor Gillespie frames the church's unique rites, like the imposition of ashes, as spiritually powerful elements. He emphasizes flexibility, acknowledging listeners have day jobs and may engage with the content at different times. The pastor positions himself as a spiritual guide while also empowering parents to lead prayer within their own families. The recitation of the creed serves as a unifying statement of core Christian doctrine for meditation. The tone is pastoral, instructional, and warmly conversational. The style is a structured devotional, blending informal remarks with formal liturgical recitation. Listeners seeking a traditional Lutheran daily prayer practice would appreciate this episode. Those looking for a topical sermon or biblical exposition might find this format too brief or ritual-focused.

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