Reflections

July 1, 2025 Today's Reading: Galatians 5:1, 13-25 Daily Lectionary: Joshua 6:6-27 ; Acts 10:18-33 “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” (Galatians 5:1) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.  The Galatians just couldn’t quit the Law cold turkey. They needed a fix, something to claim as theirs, and God would understand, right? God can’t re...

June 30, 2025 Today's Reading: 1 Kings 19:9b-21 Daily Lectionary: Joshua 5:1-6:5 ; Acts 10:1-17 “And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper” (1 Kings 19:12) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.  “What are you doing here, Elijah?”  Elijah is at the end of his rope. He’s been a good and faithful servant. He outran his persecutors, cared...

June 29, 2025  Today's Reading: Matthew 16:13-19 Daily Lectionary: Joshua 4:1-24 ; Acts 9:23-43 “Simon Peter replied, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’” (Matthew 16:16) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. What’s the point of Peter’s confession? He gets it right. Jesus is not just a reincarnated Moses or Elijah. He’s not just another religious figure with good ideas on how to be kind to on...

June 28, 2025  Today's Reading: Introit for Pentecost 3 - Psalm 85:8-10, 13; antiphon: Psalm 85:7 Daily Lectionary: Joshua 3:1-17 ; Acts 9:1-22 “ Show us your steadfast love, O Lord, and grant us your salvation.” (Psalm 85:7) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.  When God feels far away, how would you pray to Him? What do I do when God is angry with me? The sons of Korah ask these questions of God in Psa...

June 27, 2025 Today's Reading: Acts 8:26-40 Daily Lectionary: Joshua 2:1-24 ; Acts 8:26-40 “And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him.” (Acts 8:38) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.  The Ethiopian Eunuch was missing something. He had worship; He had the scroll of the prophet Isaiah (Is. 53), and yet it did not make sense to...

June 26, 2025  Today's Reading: Catechism: The Lord's Prayer - The Conclusion Daily Lectionary: Joshua 1:1-18 ; Acts 8:1-25 This means that I should be certain that these petitions are pleasing to our Father in heaven, and are heard by Him; (The Lord’s Prayer - The Conclusion - What does this mean?) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.  Have you ever thought, “What if God doesn’t like what I pray for?” o...

June 25, 2025 Today's Reading: Galatians 3:23-4:7 Daily Lectionary: Proverbs 31:10-31 ; John 21:1-25 “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.” (Galatians 4:4-5) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.  Did Paul just say I don't need to listen to my parents anymore? No...

June 24, 2025 Today's Reading: Luke 1:57-80 Daily Lectionary: Proverbs 30:1-9, 18-33 ; John 20:19-31 “And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God.” (Luke 1:64) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.  Zechariah’s troubling visitation has been resolved. A birth of Abrahamic proportions has occurred. Elizabeth, who was once barren, has now given birth to John. Zechar...

June 23, 2025  Today's Reading: Isaiah 65:1-9 Daily Lectionary: Proverbs 27:1-24 ; Proverbs 28:1-29:27 ; John 20:1-18 “I will bring forth offspring from Jacob, and from Judah possessors of my mountains; my chosen shall possess it, and my servants shall dwell there.” (Isaiah 65:9) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.  Israel’s children had no idea how good they had it, and they had it all. They thought it...

June 22, 2025  Today's Reading: Luke 8:26-39 Daily Lectionary: Proverbs 25:1-22 ; Proverbs 26:1-28 ; John 19:23-42 “Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear. So he got into the boat and returned.” (Luke 8:37) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.  Jesus and His disciples have arrived on the other side of the Sea of...

June 21, 2025 Today's Reading: Introit for Pentecost 2 - Psalm 71:20-24; antiphon: Psalm 71:3 Daily Lectionary: Proverbs 24:1-22 ; John 19:1-22 “You who have made me see many troubles and calamities will revive me again; from the depths of the earth you will bring me up again.” (Psalm 71:20) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.  The psalmist sees something beautiful. God caused him to see troubles. Thank...

June 20, 2025 Today's Reading: John 18:15-40 Daily Lectionary: Proverbs 22:22-23:12 ; John 18:15-40 “The high priest then questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching. Jesus answered him, ‘I have spoken openly to the world. I have always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where all Jews come together. I have said nothing in secret.” (John 18:19–20) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.  Nobo...

June 19, 2025  Today's Reading: Catechism: The Lord's Prayer - The Seventh Petition Daily Lectionary: Proverbs 22:1-21 ; John 18:1-14 But deliver us from evil.  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.  It’s dark down here. There’s a lot of evil in the world. It’s one of the rare places we can agree with the atheists. The difference is that we can find an evil one, the devil, stirring the pot. We can label t...

June 18, 2025  Today's Reading: John 17:1-26 Daily Lectionary: Proverbs 20:5-25 ; Proverbs 21:1-31 ; John 17:1-26 “When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you,” (John 17:1) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.  Jesus lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your S...

June 17, 2025 Today's Reading: Acts 2:14a, 22-36 Daily Lectionary: Proverbs 17:1-28 ; Proverbs 18:1-20:4 ; John 16:17-33 “this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.” (Acts 2:23–24) In the Name + of Jesus. A...

June 16, 2025 Today's Reading: Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31 Daily Lectionary: Proverbs 16:1-24 ; John 16:1-16 “‘To you, O men, I call, and my cry is to the children of man.” (Proverbs 8:4) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.  There is an eternal Wisdom, begotten yet in existence before anything was. That’s kinda hard to get one’s head around. This Wisdom, involved in creation, is called a she by one known for...

June 15, 2025  Today's Reading: John 8:48-59 Daily Lectionary: Numbers 35:9-30 ; Acts 1:1-7:60 ; Luke 24:28-53 “Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.’” (John 8:58) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.  It's weird how happy folks were that Abraham was dead. They prefer their patriarch dead to win a fight. They have something they think is more valuable. Wealth, stabili...

June 14, 2025  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 Blessed be the Holy Trinity and the undivided Unity. Let us give glory to him because he has shown his mercy to us. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.  The doctrine of the Trinity is not revealed by God simply to confuse or imply that God isn’t great at m...

June 13, 2025 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.” (Acts 2:1) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.  Pentecost, 50 days after Jesus conquered death, and we figure everything’s got to be different now. The Pharisees were still running the temple. Caiaphas still offered sacrifices there as Hi...

June 12, 2025 Today's Reading: Genesis 11:1-9 Daily Lectionary: Numbers 24:1-25 ; Luke 23:1-25 “Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth. And from there the LORD dispersed them over the face of all the earth.” (Genesis 11:9) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.  Everybody wants a perfect little life. We all have a picture of it. This is how it nee...

June 11, 2025 Today's Reading: Mark 6:7-13 Daily Lectionary: Numbers 23:4-28 ; Luke 22:47-71 “And he called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits.” (Mark 6:7) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.  Jesus sends the Twelve out to preach and cast out demons. They only get to take a staff. They stay where someone will put them up; if not, it’s dust...

June 10, 2025  Today's Reading: John 10:1-10 Daily Lectionary: Numbers 22:21-23:3 ; Luke 22:24-46 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.  When folks look around the sheepfold, it’s a lot easier to find the robbers than the Lord. Jesus says, “The thief comes to steal and kill and destroy...

June 9, 2025 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.” (John 3:16) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.  If you unpack the Bible verse everyone already knows, you find a religion nobody can fathom. It’s nothing but Jesus on the cross for sinne...

June 8, 2025  Today's Reading: John 14:23-31 Daily Lectionary: Numbers 21:10-35 ; Luke 21:20-38 “Jesus answered him, 'If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.’” (John 14:23)  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.  Jesus said, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word.” Faith, of course, is presupposed to the reader. I guess...

June 7, 2025  Today's Reading: John 14:8-21 Daily Lectionary: Numbers 20:22-21:9 ; Luke 20:45-21:19 “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever.” (John 14:16) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.  The Holy Spirit is God, as much as the Father is God and the Son is God. We confess this truth every time we speak one of the Creeds. But if the Spirit is God, why do...