Reflections

April 14, 2024 Today's Reading: Luke 24:36-49 Daily Lectionary: Exodus 32:15-35 , Luke 6:39-49 “See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling, he said to them, “Have you anything here to...

April 13, 2024  Today's Reading: Psalm 30:1-5 ; antiphon: Psalm 16:11b Daily Lectionary: Exodus 32:1-14 , Luke 6:20-38 Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.”(Psalm 30:5b, from the Introit on the Third Sunday of Easter) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The Psalm used for the Introit tomorrow is a Psalm of thanksgiving and praise. It expresses the joy of having been delivered...

April 12, 2024  Today's Reading: Luke 6:1-19 Daily Lectionary: Exodus 31:1-18 , Luke 6:1-19 And He said to them, "The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.” (Luke 6:5) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. In the New Testament reading from the daily lectionary today, Jesus and the Pharisees butt heads over the Sabbath. The Third Commandment is indeed, ‘Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.’ God did co...

April 11, 2024  Today's Reading: The Lord’s Prayer - Introduction Daily Lectionary: Exodus 25:1-22 , Exodus 25:23-30:38 , Luke 5:17-39 Our Father, who art in heaven. What does this mean? With these words God tenderly invites us to believe that He is our true Father and that we are His true children, so that with all boldness and confidence we may ask Him as dear children ask their dear father. In...

April 10, 2024  Today's Reading: Exodus 24:1-18 Daily Lectionary: Exodus 24:1-18 , Luke 5:1-16 Then Moses and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel went up, and they saw the God of Israel. There was under his feet as it were a pavement of sapphire stone, like the very heaven for clearness. And he did not lay his hand on the chief men of the people of Israel; they beheld God,...

April 9, 2024  Today's Reading: 1 John 1:1-2:2 Daily Lectionary: Exodus 23:14-33 , Luke 4:31-44 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:8-9) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Last Sunday’s Epistle reading from 1 John has a familiar couple of v...

April 8, 2024  Today's Reading: Acts 4:32-35 Daily Lectionary: Exodus 22:20-23:13 , Luke 4:16-30 And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. (Acts 4:33) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Sunday’s first reading from Acts makes the early church sound perfect. Everyone shared, nobody had need, and Jesus was preach...

April 7, 2024 Today's Reading: John 20:19-31 Daily Lectionary: Exodus 20:1-24 , Luke 4:1-15 …Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. (John 21:19b-20) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Scars tell a story. I got a new scar on my chest not long ago. I had galls...

April 6, 2024  Today's Reading: Psalm 105:1-5, 8 ; antiphon: 1 Peter 2:2-3  Daily Lectionary: Exodus 19:1-25 , Hebrews 13:1-21 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. (1 Peter 2:2-3, Antiphon for the Introit on the Second Sunday of Easter) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. In tomorrow’s Introit,...

April 5, 2024  Today's Reading: Hebrews 12:1-24 Daily Lectionary: Exodus 18:5-27 , Hebrews 12:1-24 Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:1b-2) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. We’...

April 4, 2024  Today's Reading: The Lord’s Prayer Daily Lectionary: Exodus 17:1-16 , Hebrews 11:1-29 In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Prayer is a conversation that God starts in His Word. This fact still surprises a lot of Christians. We tend to think that prayer is us sending our requests to God, and then hearing back nothing at all until something happens. That’s missing the very half of prayer tha...

April 3, 2024  Today's Reading: John 21:1-14 Daily Lectionary: Exodus 16:13-35 , Hebrews 10:19-39 When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea. (John 21:7b) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Why does Peter throw himself into the sea? Perhaps Peter was just so excited to see Jesus that he couldn’t wait to get to s...

April 2, 2024  Today's Reading: Luke 24:36-49 Daily Lectionary: Exodus 15:19-16:12 , Hebrews 10:1-18 [Jesus] said to them,“Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.” (Luke 24:46-47) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. If you ever find...

April 1, 2024  Today's Reading: Luke 24:13-35, 36-49 Daily Lectionary: Exodus 15:1-18 , Hebrews 9:1-28 And He said to them, “What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?” And they stood still, looking sad. (Luke 24:17) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Yesterday, we heard that Jesus has conquered death by His resurrection. That’s good news for us. We no longer need to be...

March 31, 2024  Today's Reading: Mark 16:1-8   Daily Lectionary: Exodus 14:10-31 , Hebrews 7:23-8:13 “You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; He is not here. See the place where they laid Him.” (Mark 16:6) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. If you haven’t noticed, death is the one thing our whole world is running away from. We hide death away in hospitals and nursing homes so no on...

March 30, 2024  Today's Reading: John 19: 38-42 Daily Lectionary: Exodus 13:17-14:9 , Hebrews 7:1-22 Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid.  So because of the Jewish day of Preparation, since the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there. (John 19:41-42) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. As Jesus' body is laid to...

March 29, 2024  Today's Reading: John 18:1-19:42 , John 19:17-37 Daily Lectionary: Exodus 12:29-32; 13:1-16 ; Lamentations 5:1-22 , Hebrews 6:1-20 , Psalm 22 When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his garments and divided them into four parts, one part for each soldier; also his tunic.  The tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom, so they said to one another, “Let us no...

March 28, 2024  Today's Reading: Mark 14:22-26  Daily Lectionary: Exodus 12:1-28 , Lamentations 4:1-22 , Hebrews 5:1-14 , Psalm 31 And as they were eating, he took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to them, and said, “Take; this is my body.”  And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, and they all drank of it.  And he said to them, “This is my blood of the...

March 27, 2024  Today's Reading: Mark 14:12-21 Daily Lectionary: Exodus 10:21-11:10 , Lamentations 3:1-66 , Hebrews 4:1-16 Jesus said, “Truly I say to you, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me.”  They began to be sorrowful and to say to him one after another, “Is it I?”.  (Mark 14:18-19) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Have you ever found it odd that the disciples need to ask Jesus i...

March 26, 2024  Today's Reading: Mark 14:1-15:47 , John 12:20-50 Daily Lectionary: Exodus 9:29-10:20 , Lamentations 2:1-22 , Hebrews 3:1-19 Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks.  So these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” (John 12:20-21) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. I have this phrase, “Sir, we wish to se...

March 25, 2024  Today's Reading: Luke 1:26-38 Daily Lectionary: Exodus 9:1-28 , Lamentations 1:1-22 , Hebrews 2:1-18 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.  And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.” (Luke 1:30-31) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.  Since the Fall our sinful nature can’t comprehend a Go...

March 24, 2024  Today's Reading: John 12:12-19   Daily Lectionary: Exodus 8:1-32 , Psalm 118 , Hebrews 1:1-14 So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna!  Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” (John 12:13) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. It’s a strange thing to see a king riding triumphantly to His death, especially when He...

March 23, 2024  Today's Reading: Psalm 24   Daily Lectionary: Exodus 7:1-25 , Mark 16:1-20 Lift up your heads, O gates!  And lift them up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in.   (Psalm 24:9) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. God comes to us.  That is what He does.  Time and time again, He comes to His lost and fallen creation.  He comes to people.  He communes with them.  He bestows gr...

March 22, 2024  Today's Reading: Mark 10:32-34 Daily Lectionary: Exodus 5:1-6:1 , Mark 15:33-47 [Jesus said,] “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles.  And they will mock him and spit on him, and flog him and kill him.  And after three days he will ris...

March 21, 2024  Today's Reading: The Creed Daily Lectionary: Exodus 4:19-31 , Mark 15:16-32 Who has redeemed me, a lost and condemned person, purchased and won me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil; not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death. ( The Second Article:  Part Two ) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The Second...