Reflections

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...

May 10, 2024  Today's Reading: The Lord’s Prayer - Fourth Petition Daily Lectionary: Numbers 11:24-29, 12:1-16 ; Luke 17:20-37 What is the 4th petition of the Lord’s Prayer?  Give us this day our daily bread.   What does this mean? God certainly gives daily bread to everyone without our prayers, even to all evil people, but we pray in this petition that God would lead us to realize this and to rec...

May 9, 2024  Today's Reading: Luke 24:44-53 Daily Lectionary: Numbers 11:1-23, 31-35 ; Luke 17:1-19 And he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven. (Luke 24:50-51) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Jesus ascends. You might wonder why this matters. It seems like the Ascension is the least importa...

May 8, 2024  Today's Reading: Numbers 10:11-36 Daily Lectionary: Numbers 10:11-36 ;  Luke 16:19-31 And whenever the ark set out, Moses said, “Arise, O Lord, and let your enemies be scattered, and let those who hate you flee before you.” And when it rested, he said, “Return, O Lord, to the ten thousand thousands of Israel.” (Numbers 10:35-36) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The ark of the covenant wa...

May 7, 2024 Today's Reading: 1 John 5:1-8 Daily Lectionary: Numbers 9:1-23 ;  Luke 16:1-18 [T]his is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.” (1 John 5:4b) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Historians remember people in previous centuries who took over much of the world. These are the famous conquerors such as Alexander the Great, Attila the Hun, and Genghis Khan. These world leaders conque...

May 6, 2024  Today's Reading: Acts 10:34-48   Daily Lectionary: Numbers 8:5-26 ;  Luke 15:11-32 While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles. (Acts 10:44-45) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The first be...

May 5, 2024  Today's Reading: John 15:9-17  Daily Lectionary:  Numbers 3:1-16, 39-48 ;  Number 4:1-8 ;  Luke 14:25-15:10 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.”  (John 15:12) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Love is commanded. Therefore, this kind of love that Jesus speaks of is not a feeling. You cannot command anyone to feel a certain way. As much as you might wish...

May 4, 2024  Today's Reading: Psalm 66:1-2, 8-9, 20 ; antiphon: Psalm 66:16 Daily Lectionary: Leviticus 26:21-33, 39-44 , Numbers 1:1-2:34 , Luke 14:1-24 Blessed be God, because he has not rejected my prayer or removed his steadfast love from me! (Psalm 66:20) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. There is a common misunderstanding about prayer. Many people think that God hears prayers better if more peop...

May 3, 2024  Today's Reading: Luke 13:18-35 Daily Lectionary: Leviticus 26:1-20 , Luke 13:18-35 “Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.”  (Luke 13:24) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Years ago, adults were shorter. If you want proof, go to the country of the Netherlands sometime and take a tour of some of the old Dutch windmills. The d...