Reflections

February 19, 2023   Today's Reading: Matt. 17:1-9 Daily Lectionary: Job 14:1-22 , John 6:41-59   “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” (Matthew 17:5)   In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. It’s important for us to ponder the eyewitness testimony of Jesus’ transfiguration before we ponder His suffering. There is plenty of human suffering around us. We wake up with it. We se...

February 18, 2023   Today's Reading: Introit for Transfiguration, Ps. 99:1-5 ; antiphon: Ps. 99:9 Daily Lectionary: Job 13:13-28 , John 6:22-40   “Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at His holy mountain; for the Lord our God is holy!” (Psalm 99:9)   In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Scripture tells us, “The Lord is great in Zion.” Christopher Hitchens, renowned atheist, tells us, “god is Not Great.”...

February 17, 2023   Today's Reading: Job 13:1-12 Daily Lectionary: Job 13:1-12   “But I would speak to the Almighty, and I desire to argue my case with God.” (Job 13:3)   In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Martin Luther said, “Oh, faith is a living, busy, active, mighty thing” But can faith be active even in arguing with God? It would seem so. Job is ready to speak and argue with the Almighty, but he’s...

February 16, 2023 Today's Reading: 1 Corinthians 3:1-9 Daily Lectionary: Job 12:1-6, 12-25 , John 5:30-47 “So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.” (1 Cor. 3:7) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. You might really like your pastor. You might think your pastor is out to lunch. Maybe your church has more than one pastor, but there’s one you’d rather go to...

February 15, 2023 Today's Reading: Luther’s Small Catechism - Table of Duties To: Youth ( 1 Peter 5:5-6 ) Daily Lectionary: Job 11:1-20 , John 5:19-29   “‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’ Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time.” (1 Peter 5:6)   In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. It’s hard being a teenager.  You’ve come so far, and...

Today's Reading: John 5:1-18 (Valentine, Martyr) Daily Lectionary: Job 10:1-22 , John 5:1-18   “Jesus said to him, ‘Get up, take up your bed, and walk.’ And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked.” (John 5:8-9)   In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Valentine has been remembered as a martyr since the early centuries of the Church. A priest and physician from Rome, he and his family...

Today's Reading: Deut. 30:15-20 Daily Lectionary: Job 9:1-35 , John 4:46-54 “Obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days” (Deuteronomy 30:20) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. If there were ever a passage that seems to support decision theology, it’s this one. “I have set before you today life and good, death and evil…therefore choose life!”  Martin Luther strongl...

Today's Reading:   Matt. 5:21-37 Daily Lectionary: Job 8:1-22 , John 4:27-45   And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell. (Matthew 5:30) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. This is the Gospel of the Lord? Praise to you, O Christ! Today’s Gospel gets us coming and going. If we came to c...

Today's Reading: Introit for Epiphany 6, Ps. 98:7-9; antiphon: Ps. 98:2 Daily Lectionary: Job 7:1-21 , John 4:7-27 “Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; the world and those who dwell in it!” (Ps. 98:7) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. What do these two things have in common? A child tugging at his mother’s sweater, each time saying louder, “Mama!” and the prophets of Baal limping around their alt...

Today's Reading: Job 6:1-13 Daily Lectionary: Job 6:1-13 , John 3:1-21  “Have I any help in me, when resource is driven from me?” (Job 6:13) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Human suffering: It’s universal. It’s agonizing to bear, and heartbreaking to witness. It’s caused by wickedness in the world. It’s caused by our own foolishness. It’s sent by God. Wait! What did you just say? Surely God wants us...

Today's Reading: Luther’s Small Catechism - Table of Duties: To Employers and Supervisors Daily Lectionary: Job 5:1-27 , John 2:13-25 “Do not threaten them, since you know that He who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with Him.” (Eph. 6:9) I n the Name + of Jesus. Amen. “My boss is such a jerk!”  This is a judgment we’re quick to pronounce. It’s socially accep...

Today's Reading: 1 Cor. 2:1-16 Daily Lectionary: Job 4:1-21 , John 2:1-12 Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away. (1 Cor. 2:6) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Would you like to level up your Christianity?  What would you say if I told you there was some “secret and hidden wisdom from God”?  All you h...

Today's Reading:   Isaiah 58:3-9a Daily Lectionary: Job 3:11 , John 1:35-51   “Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily; your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry, and he will say, ‘Here I am.’” (Isaiah 58:8-9a) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. W...

Today's Reading: Matthew 5:13-20 Daily Lectionary: Job 2:1 , John 1:19-34   “You are the salt of the earth…You are the light of the world” (Matt. 5:13, 14)   In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Anchovies. Love ‘em or hate ‘em, they give us a clue into what Jesus is saying: Salt is a preservative. It keeps meat from decaying into stench and worms.  So, Jesus compares us to salt for the earth—a preservati...

Today's Reading:  Luke 2:22-32 Daily Lectionary: Zech. 14:1-21 , Titus 2:7-3:15 “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word… (Luke 2:29) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Yesterday the Church celebrated the Presentation of Jesus (Luke 2:22-32). We heard about Simeon who  came to  the temple  to see Jesus. The Holy Spirit had promised Simeon he would see the Messiah...

Today's Reading: Purification of Mary and Presentation of Our Lord Luke 2:22-32 Daily Lectionary: Zech. 12:1-13:9 , Titus 1:1-2:6 …as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord” (Luke 2:23) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. On this day, 40 days after Christmas, Mary and Joseph took baby Jesus from Bethlehem to the temple in Jerusalem to...

Today's Reading:   Luther’s Small Catechism - To Workers of All Kinds Daily Lectionary: Zech. 11:4-17 , 2 Timothy 4:1-18 Bondservants, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ… (Ephesians 6:5) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. In the season of Epiphany, we celebrate that the light of Christ shines forth into darkness. God uses our work, including our...

Today's Reading: 1 Corinthians 1:18-31 Daily Lectionary: Zech. 10:1-11:3 , 2 Timothy 3:1-17 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.   (1 Corinthians 1:22-24) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. In the season of Epiphany,...

Today's Reading: Micah 6:1-8 Daily Lectionary: Zech. 9:1-17 , 2 Timothy 2:1-26 “Hear what the LORD says: … “O my people, what have I done to you? How have I wearied you? Answer me!”  (Micah 1a, 3) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. In Epiphany, we celebrate that the light of Christ shines forth into the world, proclaiming the truth of His word —that people are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Chri...

Today's Reading: Matthew 5:1-12 Daily Lectionary: Zech. 8:1-23 , 2 Timothy 1:1-18 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:3) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. During Epiphany we celebrate that the light of Christ shines forth to people in need of His grace and mercy. In our reading today, crowds of people were following Jesus to hear Him speak, so He led them t...

Today's Reading: Introit for Epiphany 4, Ps. 22:27-31 ; antiphon: Ps. 22:22 Daily Lectionary: Zech. 6:1-7:14 , Romans 16:17-27 I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will praise you… (Psalm 22:22) Today, our reading is the last section of Psalm 22. It speaks of the power and glory of Christ Jesus. We glorify Him who conquered sin and death by His crucifixion an...

Today's Reading: Luther’s Small Catechism - Table of Duties: To Children   Daily Lectionary: Zech. 4:1-5:11 , Romans 15:14-33 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.  “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” (Ephesians 6:1-3) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Today we hear f...

Today's Reading: Luke 10:1-9 Daily Lectionary: Zech. 2:1-3:10 , Romans 15:1-13 Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. (Luke 10:3) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Through these last three days, the Church gives thanks to God for the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We’ve already praised God for the work He did through St. Timothy. We praised God for bringin...

Today's Reading: Acts 9:1-22 Daily Lectionary: Zech. 1:1-21 , Romans 14:1-23 Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him.  And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?”  (Acts 9:3,4) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. During Epiphany we celebrate that the light of Christ shines to people who...

Today's Reading:   Matthew 24:42-47 Daily Lectionary: Joel 3:1-21 , Romans 12:14-13:14 “Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time?   Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes.” (Matthew 24:45,46) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. After Jesus rose from the dead, the apostles went out i...