Reflections

May 28, 2023 Today's Reading: John 7:37-39 Daily Lectionary: Numbers 21:10-35 , Luke 22:1-23 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” (John 7:38) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. There are certain things in life that are meant to go together, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or bacon and, well, just about anything. And if this is true...

May 27, 2023 Today's Reading: John 14:15-21 Daily Lectionary: Numbers 20:22-21:9 , Luke 20:45-21:19 John 14:15: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Jesus said, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my commandments”.  Faith, of course, is presupposed.  I guess that’s good…we assume Christians believe.  But also, when we take faith for granted, all that’s really...

May 26, 2023 Today's Reading:   Luke 20:19-44 Daily Lectionary: Numbers 20:1-21 , Luke 20:19-44 Luke 20:25: He said to them, “Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Do you think stamping Caesar’s face on a coin makes it not God’s anymore? It isn’t just whether or not this is God’s coin. It’s whether or not this is Go...

May 25, 2023 Today's Reading:   Luke 20:1-18 Daily Lectionary: Numbers 16:41-17:13 , Luke 20:1-18 Luke 20:4: “was the baptism of John from heaven or from man?”” In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Who is running the verbs?  Who is doing the thing? It changes baptism. Not just because the Pharisees were afraid of upsetting the crowds, but because if all we have is a bath of good intentions, the waters ne...

May 24, 2023 Today's Reading: Luther’s Small Catechism Ten Commandments: The Ninth Commandment Daily Lectionary: Numbers 16:23-40 , Luke 19:29-48 You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.  In mercy, God will even guard your heart.  There’s already a commandment about not taking what’s yours.  You shall not steal.  You shall help your neighbor improve and protect his...

May 23, 2023 Today's Reading: 1 Peter 4:12-19, 5:6-11 Daily Lectionary: Numbers 16:1-22, Luke 19:11-28 1 Peter 4:13: “But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.” In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Peter calls suffering a blessing.  I wish he wouldn’t.  It isn’t just how much it hurts.  It’s the question of why.  Because a lovi...

May 22, 2023 Today's Reading: Acts 1:12-26 Daily Lectionary: Numbers 14:26-45 , Luke 18:35-19:10 Acts 1:16: ““Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus.” In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. What do you say at the funeral of a friend? Judas was numbered with them. Spent 3 years...

 May 21, 2023 Today's Reading: John 17:1-11 Daily Lectionary: Numbers 14:1-25 , Luke 18:18-34 John 17:11: “And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.” In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Why does it feel so good to lament the decline of civilization? It seems l...

May 20, 2023   Today's Reading: Psalm 100:1-5 ; antiphon: Psalm 101:1 Daily Lectionary: Numbers 13:1-3, 17-33 ; Luke 18:1-17 “Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing!” (Psalm 100:1-2)   In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The Holy Spirit has gifted some with amazing musical talent, which they employ in service to God’s Word. Think...

May 19, 2023   Today's Reading:   Numbers 11:24-29, 12:1-16 Daily Lectionary: Numbers 11:24-29, 12:1-16 ; Luke 17:20-37 “Hear my words: If there is a prophet among you, I the Lord make myself known to him” (Numbers 12:6)   In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. There was a problem with Moses: He couldn’t do it all. Today, we would have said Moses was close to burnout. There needed to be others to share the...

 May 18, 2023   Today's Reading: Luke 24:44-53 Daily Lectionary: Numbers 11:1-23, 31-35 ; Luke 17:1-19 In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Alleluia! Christ is risen!  What’s a huge difference between Christianity and other religions? Not just that other religions require us to justify ourselves to God by works. It’s also that they rely on human works to spread. The mission of the first Muslims was to sp...

May 17, 2023   Today's Reading: Luther’s Small Catechism, Ten Commandments : The Eighth Commandment Daily Lectionary: Numbers 10:11-36 ; Luke 16:19-31 “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.” (Exodus 20:16, the 8th Commandment)   In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Alleluia! Christ is risen!  “Who is my neighbor?” the lawyer asks to justify himself (Luke 10:29). It’s easy to imagine s...

May 16, 2023   Today's Reading: 1 Peter 3:13-22 Daily Lectionary: Numbers 9:1-23 ; Luke 16:1-18 “Have no fear of them, nor be troubled,but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy” (1 Peter 3:14-15)   In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Alleluia! Christ is risen! Imagine what it was like for Noah, those 120 years he was building the ark. People around him were eating and drinking, marrying and being...

May 15, 2023   Today's Reading: Acts 17:16-31 Daily Lectionary: Numbers 8:5-26 ; Luke 15:11-32 They should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. (Acts 17:27)   In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Alleluia! Christ is risen!  In seminary, I had a professor who said, “You need to exegete the culture.” Exegesis is what’s done when a biblical text is analyzed and application is drawn...

May 14, 2023   Today's Reading: John 14:15-21 Daily Lectionary: Numbers 3:1-16, 39-48 ; Luke 14:25-15:10 “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me.” (John 14:18-19)   In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Alleluia! Christ is risen!  One of the scary things about losing your parents is that you lose a connection to your r...

May 13, 2023   Today's Reading: Psalm 119:89-93 ; antiphon: Psalm 119:105 Daily Lectionary: Leviticus 26:21-33, 39-44 ; Luke 14:1-24 “Forever, O Lord, your word is firmly fixed in the heavens.” (Psalm 119:89)   In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Alleluia! Christ is risen!  Our brothers in the Roman church often debate whether “sola Scriptura” (the all-sufficiency of Scripture) is taught in the Bible. I...

May 12, 2023   Today's Reading: Leviticus 26:1-20 Daily Lectionary: Leviticus 26:1-20 ; Luke 13:18-35 “And I have broken the bars of your yoke and made you walk erect.“ (Leviticus 26:13)   In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Alleluia! Christ is risen!  There’s a certain strange comfort in believing that the world works like this: God is in control of everything. He gives prosperity and power to the good...

May 11, 2023   Today's Reading:   Luke 12:54 - 13:9 Daily Lectionary: Leviticus 24:1-23 ; Luke 12:54-13:17  “No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” (Luke 13:5)   In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Alleluia! Christ is risen!  Perhaps you will be blessed to never have to cross the court system, but most of us will in some way. The courts exist to deal with our faults—from t...

May 10, 2023   Today's Reading: Luther’s Small Catechism Ten Commandments: The Seventh Commandment Daily Lectionary: Leviticus 23:23-44 ; Luke 12:35-38 We do not take our neighbor’s money or possessions, or get them in any dishonest way, but help him to improve and protect his possessions and income. (Seventh Commandment)   In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Alleluia! Christ is risen!  The age of infor...

May 9, 2023   Today's Reading: 1 Peter 2:2-10 Daily Lectionary: Leviticus 23:1-22 ; Luke 12:13-34  As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 2:4-5)   In the Name + of...

May 8, 2023   Today's Reading:   Acts 6:1-9; 7:2a, 51-60  Daily Lectionary: Leviticus 21:1-24 ; Luke 12:1-12 And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” (Acts 7:56)   In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Alleluia! Christ is risen!  Today is the 78th anniversary of V-E Day, when victory was celebrated in Europe after over 6 hard years of fighting...

May 7, 2023   Today's Reading:  John 14:1-14 Daily Lectionary: Leviticus 20:1-16 ; Luke 11:37-54 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. (John 14:13)   In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Alleluia! Christ is risen!  Have you ever been on the line with customer service or tech support? It’s already been forty-five minutes, when they tell you, “I can’t hel...

May 6, 2023 Today's Reading:   Psalm 30:1-5 ; antiphon: Psalm 149:1 Daily Lectionary: Leviticus 19:9-18, 26-37 ; Luke 11:14-36 O LORD my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me. O LORD, you have brought up my soul from Sheol; you restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit. (Psalm 30:2–3 ESV) In the Name + of Jesus.  Amen.  Whether you know it or not, you are in a rela...

May 5, 2023 Today's Reading:   Daily Lectionary: Leviticus 18:1-7 ; Luke 11:1-13 “What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (Luke 11:11–13 E...

May 4, 2023 Today's Reading:   1 Peter 2:19-25 Daily Lectionary: Leviticus 17:1-16 ; Luke 10:23-42 For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. For to this you have been cal...