Reflections

June 4, 2024 Today's Reading: 2 Corinthians 4:5-12 Daily Lectionary: Ecclesiastes 12:1-14 ; John 11:1-16 Always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. 2 Corinthians 4:10  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. You only have to escape the things that can beat you. Nobody runs from puppies. Unless they’re allergic, I guess. It’s hard to find s...

June 3, 2024 Today's Reading: Deuteronomy 5:12-15 Daily Lectionary: Ecclesiastes 11:1-10 ; John 10:22-42 Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the LORD your God commanded you. Deuteronomy 5:12 In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The key word in the commandment is holy. God calls us to remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy: clean, pure, holy as the LORD your God is holy. So it probably has to h...

June 2, 2024  Today's Reading: Mark 2:23-28 ( 3:1-6 ) Daily Lectionary: Ecclesiastes 10:1-20 ; John 10:1-21 And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. Mark 2:27 In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The Pharisees confront Jesus about the disciples eating on the Sabbath because they plucked the heads of grain themselves. That’s too much work. Arguments about doing work on...

June 1, 2024  Today's Reading: Introit for Pentecost 2 - Psalm 62:5-8 ; antiphon: Psalm 62:1 Daily Lectionary: Ecclesiastes 9:1-17 ; John 9:24-41 For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence,  for my hope is from him.  He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken.  On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God.  Trust in him at all times, O people...

May 31, 2024   Today's Reading: Luke 1:39-45 (46-56) Daily Lectionary: Ecclesiastes 8:1-17 ; John 9:1-23 And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come...

May 30, 2024  Today's Reading: The Lord’s Prayer - Seventh Petition  Daily Lectionary: Ecclesiastes 7:11-29 ; John 8:39-59 The Seventh Petition But deliver us from evil. What does this mean? We pray in this petition, in summary, that our Father in heaven would rescue us from every evil of body and soul, possessions and reputation, and finally, when our last hour comes, give us a blessed end, and g...

May 29, 2024 Today's Reading:   Ecclesiastes 6:1-7:10 Daily Lectionary: Ecclesiastes 6:1-7:10 , John 8:21-38 All the toil of man is for his mouth, yet his appetite is not satisfied. For what advantage has the wise man over the fool? And what does the poor man have who knows how to conduct himself before the living? Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the appetite: this also is va...

May 28, 2024 Today's Reading: Acts 2:14a, 22-36 Daily Lectionary: Ecclesiastes 5:1-20 ; John 8:1-20 This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. (Acts 2:32–33) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. This sermo...

May 27, 2024 Today's Reading: Isaiah 6:1-8 Daily Lectionary: Ecclesiastes 4:1-16 ; John 7:32-53 And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!” Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. And he touc...

May 26, 2024  Today's Reading:   John 3:1-17 Daily Lectionary : Numbers 35:9-30 ; Acts 1:1-7:60 ; Luke 24:28-53 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, (John 3:14) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. We can learn a lot by reading all of Holy Scripture. Now, you might be thinking, “Thanks, pastor, for the most obvious statement in the world,” but what I...

May 25, 2024  Today's Reading: Introit for Trinity Psalm 16:8-11 ; antiphon: Liturgical Text Daily Lectionary: Numbers 32:1-6, 16-27 ; Luke 24:1-27 Blessèd be the Holy Trinity and the undivided Unity. Let us give glory to him because he has shown his mercy to us. I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole be...

May 24, 2024 Today's Reading: Acts 2:1-21 Daily Lectionary: Numbers 27:12-23 ; Luke 23:26-56 When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled wi...

May 23, 2024 Today's Reading: The Lord’s Prayer - Sixth Petition Daily Lectionary: Numbers 24:1-25 ;  Luke 23:1-25 And lead us not into temptation. What does this mean? God tempts no one. We pray in this petition that God would guard and keep us so that the devil, the world, and our sinful nature may not deceive us or mislead us into false belief, despair, and other great shame and vice. Although...

May 22, 2024 Today's Reading: Ezekiel 37:1-14 Daily Lectionary: Numbers 23:4-28 ; Luke 22:47-71 Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are indeed cut off.’ Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people. A...

May 21, 2024 Today's Reading: John 10:1-10 Daily Lectionary: Numbers 22:21-23:3 ;  Luke 22:24-46 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads th...

May 20, 2024  Today's Reading : John 3:16-21 Daily Lectionary: Numbers 22:1-20 ; Luke 22:1-23 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. (John 3:16–17) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. You may have h...

May 19, 2024  Today's Reading: John 15:26-27;16:4 b-15   Daily Lectionary: Numbers 21:10-35 ;  Luke 21:20-38 “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning.” (John 15:26–27) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Do I have t...

May 18, 2024  Today's Reading: Psalm 104:24, 27-28, 30 ; antiphon: Liturgical Text Daily Lectionary: Numbers 20:22-21:9 ;  Luke 20:45-21:19 These all look to you, to give them their food in due season. When you give it to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are filled with good things. (Psalm 104:27-28) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Scripture begins and ends with God providing a...

May 17, 2024  Today's Reading: Luke 20:19-44 Daily Lectionary: Numbers 20:1-21 ;  Luke 20:19-44 Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s. (Luke 20:25) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. A good chess player will see his opponent’s opening move, a queen’s gambit perhaps; but a great chess player will counter the opponent with a challenge or trap of his own....

May 16, 2024 Today's Reading: The Lord’s Prayer - Fifth Petition  Daily Lectionary: Numbers 16:41-17:13 ;  Numbers 18:1-19:22 ;  Luke 20:1-18 We pray in this petition that our Father in heaven would not look at our sins, or deny our prayer because of them. We are neither worthy of the things for which we pray, nor have we deserved them, but we ask that He would give them all to us by His grace, fo...

May 15, 2024 Today's Reading: Luke 19:29-48 Daily Lectionary: Numbers 16:23-40 ;  Luke 19:29-48 Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord; Peace in heaven and glory in the highest! (Luke 19:38) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Even though the church calendar says we are in the seventh week of Easter, think back for a moment to Palm Sunday and then further back to Christmas. What do Christ...

May 14, 2024  Today's Reading: 1 John 5:9-15 Daily Lectionary: Numbers 16:1-22 ;  Luke 19:11-28 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life. This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. (1 John 5:13-14) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. In the Small Catechi...

May 13, 2024  Today's Reading: Acts 1:12-26 Daily Lectionary: Numbers 14:26-45 ;  Numbers 15:1-41 ;  Luke 18:35-19:10 So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us - one of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection. (Acts 1:21-22) In the Name...

May 12, 2024  Today's Reading: John 17:11b-19 Daily Lectionary: Numbers 14:1-25 ;  Luke 18:18-34 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. (John 17:17) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. When Moses came near the burning bush in Exodus 3, the Lord said to him, “Do not come near, take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.”  When the prophet Isaiah saw t...

May 11, 2024  Today's Reading: Psalm 27:1a, 4-5, 10, 14 ; antiphon: Psalm 27:7 Daily Lectionary: Numbers 13:1-3, 17-33 ; Luke 18:1-17 Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord! (Psalm 27:14) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Christianity is a waiting game. Much as you might want immediate results, the Psalmist teaches you that you have to wait. When affliction hi...