Reflections

September 24, 2026 Today's Reading: Catechism: Daily Prayers: Morning & Evening Prayer Daily Lectionary: Nehemiah 9:22-38; Nehemiah 10:1-13:31; 1 Timothy 6:3-21 In the morning when you get up/In the evening when you go to bed, make the sign of the holy cross and say: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The catechism tells us to s...

September 23, 2026 Today's Reading: Ephesians 3:13-21 Daily Lectionary: Nehemiah 9:1-21; 1 Timothy 5:17-6:2 “So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory.” (Ephesians 3:13) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The presence and actions of God in someone’s life are sometimes hard to understand. This is especially true during the more difficult times that everyone mus...

September 22, 2026 Today's Reading: 1 Kings 17:17-24 Daily Lectionary: Nehemiah 7:1-4; 8:1-18; Ezra 1:1-10:19; 1 Timothy 5:1-16 “And Elijah took the child and brought him down from the upper chamber into the house and delivered him to his mother. And Elijah said, ‘See, your son lives.’ And the woman said to Elijah, ‘Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in your mouth...

September 21, 2026 Today's Reading: Matthew 9:9-13 Daily Lectionary: Nehemiah 5:1-16; 6:1-9, 15-16; 1 Timothy 4:1-16 “As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And he rose and followed him.” (Matthew 9:9) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Tax collectors were not the most popular people in the ancient world. They were thought o...

September 20, 2026 Today's Reading: Luke 7:11-17 Daily Lectionary: Nehemiah 4:7-23; 1 Timothy 3:1-16 “Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, saying, ‘A great prophet has arisen among us!’ and ‘God has visited his people!’” (Luke 7:16) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Have you ever had to clean up your room before someone comes to visit? Maybe you were told to, or even wanted to, get things rea...

September 19, 2026 Today's Reading: Introit for Trinity 16 - Psalm 86:1, 7, 12-13; antiphon: Psalm 86:3, 5 Daily Lectionary: Nehemiah 2:11-20; 4:1-6; 1 Timothy 2:1-15 “I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name forever.” (Psalm 86:12) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. You know it is your duty to thank, praise, serve, and obey your heavenly Father for the mag...

September 18, 2026 Today's Reading: 1 Timothy 1:1-20 Daily Lectionary: Nehemiah 1:1-2:10; Haggai 1:1-2:23; 1 Timothy 1:1-20 “To Timothy my true son in the faith: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.” (1 Timothy 1:2) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Timothy’s biological father was a pagan who apparently cared nothing for his son’s spiritual life. Timothy was nonetheles...

September 17, 2026 Today's Reading: Small Catechism: Who receives this sacrament worthily? Daily Lectionary: 2 Chronicles 36:1-23; Philemon 1-25; Colossians 4:1-18 Who receives this sacrament worthily? Fasting and bodily preparation are certainly fine outward training. But that person is truly worthy and well prepared who has faith in these words: “Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sin...

September 16, 2026 Today's Reading: Galatians 5:25-6:10 Daily Lectionary: 2 Chronicles 35:1-7, 16-25; Zephaniah 1:1-3:20; Colossians 3:1-25 “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” (Galatians 6:9) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The Holy Spirit encourages us to do good to one another. It sounds so simple. Yet doing good can be downr...

September 15, 2026 Today's Reading: 1 Kings 17:8-16 Daily Lectionary: 2 Chronicles 34:1-4, 8-11, 14-33; Nahum 1:1-3:19; Colossians 2:8-23 “And she went and did as Elijah said. And she and he and her household ate for many days.” (1 Kings 17:15) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Rewind nearly 3,000 years. The widow of Zarephath thought she knew what was coming. It would be death, and a fate worse than...

September 14, 2026 Today's Reading: John 12:20-33 Daily Lectionary: 2 Chronicles 33:1-25; Jonah 1:1-4:11; Colossians 1:24-2:7 “For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles.” (1 Corinthians 1:23) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. John’s Gospel started with a glorious light shining in the darkness, and the darkness could no...

September 13, 2026 Today's Reading: Matthew 6:24-34 Daily Lectionary: 2 Chronicles 32:1-22; Hosea 1:1-14:9; Colossians 1:1-23 “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. For all the troubles we face in this fallen world, God provides tools of care to help us endure. But these tools for ‘care’ are not...

September 12, 2026 Today's Reading: Introit for Trinity 15 - Psalm 86:4, 6, 15a, 16; antiphon: Psalm 86:1a, 2b, 3 Daily Lectionary: 2 Chronicles 31:1-21; Philippians 4:1-23 “Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer; listen to my plea for grace.” (Psalm 86:6) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Wow! … Really? … That’s crazy! … Yup. … How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop? … And then sud...

September 11, 2026 Today's Reading: Philippians 3:1-21 Daily Lectionary: 2 Chronicles 29:1-24; Philippians 3:1-21 “If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more:circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee;as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blam...

September 10, 2026 Today's Reading: Catechism: How can bodily eating and drinking do such great things? Daily Lectionary: 2 Kings 9:1-13; 10:18-29; 2 Kings 13:1-18:8; Philippians 2:12-30 How can bodily eating and drinking do such great things? Certainly not just eating and drinking do these things, but the words written here: “Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.” These words, along...

September 9, 2026 Today's Reading: 2 Kings 6:1-23 Daily Lectionary: 2 Kings 6:1-23; 2 Kings 6:24-8:29; Philippians 1:21-2:11 “Then Elisha prayed and said, ‘O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see.’ So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. And when the Syrians came down against him, Elisha pray...

September 8, 2026 Today's Reading: Galatians 5:16-24 Daily Lectionary: 2 Kings 5:9-27; Philippians 1:1-20 “Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality,idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions,envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things wil...

September 7, 2026 Today's Reading: Proverbs 4:10-23 Daily Lectionary: 2 Kings 4:38-5:8; Ephesians 6:1-24 “Keep hold of instruction; do not let go; guard her, for she is your life.” (Proverbs 4:13) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Legos come with instructions. Furniture from IKEA comes with instructions. Your teacher gives you instructions. Your parents give you instructions. All these are very helpfu...

September 6, 2026 Today's Reading:   Luke 17:11-19 Daily Lectionary: 2 Kings 4:8-22, 32-37; Ephesians 5:15-33 “Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice;and he fell on his face at Jesus' feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus answered, ‘Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to G...

September 5, 2026 Today's Reading: Introit for Trinity 14 - Psalm 84:1-2a, 4, 10b, 11b; antiphon: Psalm 84:9-10a Daily Lectionary: 2 Kings 2:19-25; 4:1-7; Ephesians 4:25-5:14 “I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness.” (Psalm 84:10) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Fancy hotels and apartments have doormen. These are the guys who stand all day outside...

September 4, 2026 Today's Reading: Ephesians 4:1-24 Daily Lectionary: 2 Kings 2:1-18 ; Ephesians 4:1-24 “And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:11-12) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. These are some of the most misunderstood words in Holy Scripture. The ques...

September 3, 2026 Today's Reading: Catechism: What is the benefit of this eating and drinking? Daily Lectionary: 1 Kings 19:1-21; 1 Kings 20:1-22:53; Ephesians 3:1-21 “What is the benefit of this eating and drinking? These words, ‘Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins,’ show us that in the Sacrament forgiveness of sins, life and salvation are given us through these words. For where th...

September 2, 2026 Today's Reading: 1 Kings 18:20-40 Daily Lectionary: 1 Kings 18:20-40 ; Ephesians 2:1-22 “Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.” (1 Kings 40:38) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Take that, false prophets of Baal. You, who outnumbered Elijah 450 to 1, still lost. What a w...

September 1, 2026 Today's Reading: Galatians 3:15-22 Daily Lectionary: 1 Kings 18:1-19; Ephesians 1:1-23 “If the inheritance comes by the law, it no longer comes by promise; but God gave it to Abraham by a promise.” (Galatians 3:18) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Abraham is perhaps more like a Christian than an Israelite. Technically, there was no way Abraham could be an Israelite. Israelites were...

August 31, 2026 Today's Reading: 2 Chronicles 28:8-15 Daily Lectionary: 1 Kings 16:29-17:24; 2 Corinthians 10:1-13:14; 2 Corinthians 9:1-15 “You shall not bring the captives in here, for you propose to bring upon us guilt against the Lord in addition to our present sins and guilt. For our guilt is already great, and there is fierce wrath against Israel.” (2 Chronicles 28:13) In the Name + of Jesus...