Interesting to me how important in Scripture is the concept, and the action, of forgiveness. It begins early in His-story: in Genesis 3 God forgives the first sinners, does not condemn them, but clothes them to withstand the world outside the Garden. God is a...
Today, together, we speak much of Psalm 51, David’s heart-felt prayer of confession, and of confidence in God’s forgiving grace. You know the story: Nathan came to David to confront him with the terrible sin to which David had fallen, resulting in the death of...
Paul’s letter to the church at Rome is many things – as complete an exposition of God’s grace through faith for the sake of Jesus Christ as can be found in scripture; it is also Paul’s admonition as to how those Roman Christians might behave...
The gospel reading for this day is Matthew 16: 13-20. You might want to have that handy to follow as we walk through this lesson together. Jesus and the apostles are once again found away from their northern Israel homeland, perhaps 25 miles north of the...
Jesus, true man while true God, can be seen in scripture to react like a true man, remember? He wept before restoring Lazarus. Clearing the temple of dishonest money changers perhaps we see some temper alongside his desire to purge His Father’s house of apostasy....
Our opening hymn this weekend is “Open Now Thy Gates of Beauty,” an oldie but a goodie you likely know pretty well. The hymn was written by Benjamin Smolck, he born 1672 in what is now Poland, becoming a Lutheran pastor. More influential than Smolck...
Welcome to a little different service this weekend! We have, in the Sanctuary, hundreds of bees. That’s right, God’s little creatures, intended by Him to serve his creation as pollinators, have chosen to inhabit our roof structure. Hundreds of the poor dears are flying into, somehow,...
Love is a many-splendored thing, says an old song. Oh, how we love the love stories! Sad, however, that so many of the great love stories end in sorrow and tragedy. But not the story of God’s love. His is the greatest love story of...
Jesus speaks to us in language appropriate to His theme. In other words, we read Him speaking about things we cannot know using symbolic or representational words. As an example, today’s gospel is Matthew 13:24-30. Hear Him say: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared...
Easter? Now? See the white “He Is Risen” paraments on the altar? See all the flowers? You bet – odd time for it maybe, but this is our Easter, having missed celebrating together on the calendar Easter. Sing with some great Easter hymnody; read Matthew’s...