Reflections

September 4, 2024  Today's Reading: Ephesians 4:1-24 Daily Lectionary: 2 Kings 2:1-18 ; Ephesians 4:1-24 “I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called,” (Ephesians 4:1)  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Paul is behind bars! He’s got time on his hands, which gives him time to think, to pray, and to write. What’s on his mind? You...

September 3, 2024  Today's Reading: Ephesians 6:10-20 Daily Lectionary: 1 Kings 19:1-21 ; 1 Kings 20:1-22:53 ; Ephesians 3:1-21 “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. We are in a...

September 2, 2024 Today's Reading: Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-9 Daily Lectionary: 1 Kings 18:20-40 ; Ephesians 2:1-22 “And now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the rules that I am teaching you, and do them, that you may live, and go in and take possession of the land that the Lord, the God of your fathers, is giving you. (Deuteronomy 4:1) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. “Teacher, what shall I do to i...

September 1, 2024  Today's Reading: Mark 7:14-23 Daily Lectionary: 1 Kings 18:1-19 ; Ephesians 1:1-23 “Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?...What comes out of a person is what defiles him.” (Mark 7:18-20) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Have you ever heard the question asked, “Do we sin becaus...

August 31, 2024  Today's Reading: Introit for Pentecost 15 - Psalm 51:7, 10-12; antiphon: Psalm 51:2 Daily Lectionary: 1 Kings 16:29-17:24 ; 2 Corinthians 10:1-13:14 ; 2 Corinthians 9:1-15 “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow… Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not you...

August 30, 2024  Today's Reading: Catechism: Daily Prayers: Asking a Blessing & Returning Thanks Daily Lectionary: 1 Kings 12:20-13:5, 33-34 ; 1 Kings 14:1-16:28 ; 2 Corinthians 8:1-24 Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. His love endures forever. [He] gives food to every creature...the Lord delights in those who fear Him, who put their hope in His unfailing love. (SC Returning Thanks) In...

August 29, 2024  Today's Reading: Mark 6:14-29 Daily Lectionary: 1 Kings 11:42-12:19 ; 2 Corinthians 7:1-16 “When his disciples heard of it, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.” (Mark 6:29) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. John the Baptist is dead, beheaded at the order of King Herod. John was the last of the Old Testament prophets, and like many of the prophets of old, he was killed f...

August 28, 2024  Today's Reading: 2 Согinthians 6:1-18 Daily Lectionary: 1 Kings 11:1-26 ; 2 Согinthians 6:1-18 “Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For he says, “In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” (2 Corinthians 6:1-2) In...

August 27, 2024  Today's Reading: Ephesians 5:22-33 Daily Lectionary: 1 Kings 9:1-9, 10:1-13 ; 2 Corinthians 5:1-21 “However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.” (Ephesians 5:33) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. “Wives, submit to your husbands…Husbands, love your wives.” Here we have the apostle Paul’s Holy Spirit-inspired instruction for...

August 26, 2024  Today's Reading: Isaiah 29:11-19 Daily Lectionary: 1 Kings 8:22-30, 46-63 ; 2 Corinthians 4:1-18 In that day the deaf shall hear the words of a book, and out of their gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind shall see. (Isaiah 29:18) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. If you love books, I can think of no better time to be living than now. Books are everywhere: in print, on-demand, digi...

August 25, 2024  Today's Reading: Mark 7:1-13 Daily Lectionary: 1 Kings 7:51-8:21 ; 2 Corinthians 3:1-18 6 And he said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, “‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ ( Mark 7:6-7)  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The Old Adam in...

August 24, 2024 Today's Reading: John 1:43-51 Daily Lectionary: 1 Kings 5:1-18 ; 1 Kings 6: 1-7:50 ; 2 Corinthians 1:23-2:17 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” (John 1:45-46) In the...

August 23, 2024  Today's Reading: Introit for Pentecost 14 - Psalm 26:1-2, 6-7; antiphon: Psalm 26:8 Daily Lectionary: 1 Kings 3:1-15 ; 1 Kings 3:16-4:34 ; 2 Corinthians 1:1-22 O Lord, I love the habitation of your house and the place where your glory dwells. (Psalm 26:8)  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.  It’s been a long week. Sin made stuff hurt. Work was hard. Living with fellow sinners was hard....

August 22, 2024  Today's Reading: Catechism: Daily Prayers: Morning Prayer Daily Lectionary: 1 Kings 2:1-27 ; 1 Corinthians 14:1-16:24 ; 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 For into Your hands I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. (Morning Prayer)  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.  This little sentence delivers so much comfort. ‘Into God’s Hands.’ The very hands that bore nails during His unfair, yet...

August 21, 2024  Today's Reading: 1 Corinthians 12:14-31 Daily Lectionary: 1 Kings 1:1-4, 15-35 ; 1 Corinthians 12:14-31 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. (1 Corinthians 12:18-20) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.  This is such a profound statement that P...

August 20, 2024  Today's Reading: Ephesians 5:6-21 Daily Lectionary: 2 Samuel 12:1-25 ; 2 Samuel 13:1-19:43 ; 1 Corinthians 12:1-13 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. (Ephesians 5:17) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.  Do not be foolish. That seems like a pretty easy suggestion by Paul. Who likes to be foolish anyway? However, context matters. The entirety of Pau...

August 19, 2024  Today's Reading: Joshua 24:1-2a, 14-18 Daily Lectionary: 2 Samuel 11:1-27 ; 1 Corinthians 11:17-34 Then the people answered, “Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods (Joshua 24:16).  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. To be honest, the people’s response here seems laughable. ‘Far be it from us…’? Seriously!? The Israelites were the worst. They. Kept. Sinni...

August 18, 2024  Today's Reading: John 6:51-69 Daily Lectionary: 2 Samuel 7:18-29 ; 1 Corinthians 10:23-11:16 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. (John 6:63) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.  These words speak of the reality that all Baptized Christians know all too well. In the Divine Service, we rejoice in the Words...

August 17, 2024  Today's Reading: Introit for Pentecost 13 - Psalm 111:1-5, 9; antiphon: Psalm 111:10 Daily Lectionary: 2 Samuel 7:1-17 ; 1 Corinthians 9:24-10:22 Great are the works of the LORD, studied by all who delight in them. (Psalm 111:2) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.  Creating the intricate and yet wholly expansive world with His Word. Destroying His entire creation with water and yet pres...

August 16, 2024  Today's Reading: Catechism: Who receives this sacrament worthily? Daily Lectionary: 2 Samuel 6:1-19 ; 1 Corinthians 9:1-23 But that person is truly worthy and well prepared who has faith in these words: “Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.” (Small Catechism, Who receives this sacrament worthily?)  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.  ‘Truly worthy’ is an interesting phra...

August 15, 2024  Today's Reading: Luke 1:39-45, 46-55 Daily Lectionary: 2 Samuel 5:1-25 ; 1 Corinthians 8:1-13 He has helped His servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy (Luke 1:54)  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.  Have you ever considered the memory of God? He was before there was time. He literally created everything that is in this world. He is All-Knowing. He, well, knows every moment of sin...

August 14, 2024  Today's Reading: 1 Corinthians 7:25-40 Daily Lectionary: 2 Samuel 1:1-27 ; 1 Corinthians 7:25-40 I say this for your own benefit, not to lay any restraint upon you, but to promote good order and to secure your undivided devotion to the Lord. (1 Corinthians 7:35)  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.  We sinners become easily distracted. We think we can multitask, but usually, we end up s...

August 13, 2024  Today's Reading: Ephesians 4:17-5:2 Daily Lectionary: 1 Samuel 31:1-13 ; 1 Corinthians 7:1-24 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. (Ephesians 5:1) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.  What does it mean to imitate God? The sinner in me would enjoy having the ultimate power. I could call down fire on people who I don’t like - those sinners (not me) - those *other* sinners....

August 12, 2024  Today's Reading: 1 Kings 19:1-8 Daily Lectionary: 1 Samuel 28:3-25 ; 1 Samuel 29:1-30:31; 1 Corinthians 6:1-20 And he asked that he might die, saying, “It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers.” And he lay down and slept under a broom tree. (1 Kings 19:4b-5a) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.  Elijah did some amazing things through the power of...

August 11, 2024 Today's Reading: John 6:35-51 Daily Lectionary: 1 Samuel 26:1-25 ; 1 Samuel 27:1-28:2 ; 1 Corinthians 5:1-13 So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” (John 6:41) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.  To be honest, it seems astonishing that the Jews in this reading would DARE to grumble about Jesus and His announcement that He is the Bre...