Reflections

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...

August 10, 2024  Today's Reading: Introit for Pentecost 12 - Psalm 34:8-10; antiphon: Psalm 145:16 Daily Lectionary: 1 Samuel 25:23-44 ; 1 Corinthians 4:1-21 Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him! (Introit for Pentecost 12; Psalm 34:8) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Many of our readings this past week revolved around the theme of eating. God gave the Is...

August 9, 2024  Today's Reading: 1 Corinthians 3:1-23 Daily Lectionary: 1 Samuel 25:1-22 ; 1 Corinthians 3:1-23 What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. (1 Corinthians 3:5-6) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Your pastor is a gift from God. It doesn’t matter if he’s your favorite or not. I...

August 8, 2024  Today's Reading: Catechism: How can bodily eating and drinking do such great things? Daily Lectionary: 1 Samuel 24:1-22 ; 1 Corinthians 1:26-2:16 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 with the bodily eating a...

August 7, 2024  Today's Reading: 1 Samuel 20:24-42 Daily Lectionary: 1 Samuel 20:24-42 ; 1 Sam. 21:1-23:29 ; 1 Cor. 1:1-25 For as long as the son of Jesse lives on the earth, neither you nor your kingdom shall be established. Therefore send and bring him to me, for he shall surely die.” (1 Samuel 20:31) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Saul was paranoid. He was obsessed with retaining his royal power...

August 6, 2024  Today's Reading: Ephesians 4:1-16 Daily Lectionary: 1 Samuel 20:1-23 ; Acts 28:16-31 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call– one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. (Ephesians 4:4–6) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Ephesians 4 confesses that the Holy Christian...

August 5, 2024  Today's Reading: Exodus 16:2-15 Daily Lectionary: 1 Samuel 19:1-24 ; Acts 28:1-15 “I have heard the grumbling of the people of Israel. Say to them, ‘At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread. Then you shall know that I am the LORD your God.’” (Exodus 16:12) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Last week, we read that David cut off Goliath’s head so...

August 4, 2024  Today's Reading: John 6:22-35 Daily Lectionary: 1 Samuel 18:10-30 ; Acts 27:27-44 Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” (John 6:28-29) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Jesus exposes the motives of those who sought Him after the feeding of the five thousand. They...

August 3, 2024  Today's Reading: Introit for Pentecost 11 - Ps. 78:23-25; antiphon: Ps. 78:72 Daily Lectionary: 1 Samuel 17:48-18:9 ; Acts 27:9-26 Man ate of the bread of the angels; he sent them food in abundance. (Introit for Pentecost 11) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. In college, I sang a beautiful piece with two friends called “Panis Angelicus,” Latin for “bread of angels.” If I had to describ...

August 2, 2024  Today's Reading: 1 Samuel 17:20-47 Daily Lectionary: 1 Samuel 17:20-47 ; Acts 26:24-27:8 This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head. And I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel (1 Sa...

August 1, 2024  Today's Reading: Catechism: What is the benefit of this eating and drinking? Daily Lectionary: 1 Samuel 17:1-19 ; Acts 26:1-23 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 there is forgiveness of si...

July 31, 2024  Today's Reading: 1 Samuel 16:1-23 Daily Lectionary: 1 Samuel 16:1-23 ; Acts 25:13-27 Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon David from that day forward. And Samuel rose up and went to Ramah.”  (1 Samuel 16:13) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. In the Old Testament era, God’s Spirit came upon certain individu...

July 30, 2024  Today's Reading: Ephesians 3:14-21 Daily Lectionary: 1 Samuel 15:10-35 ; Acts 24:24-25:12 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (Ephesians 3:20–21) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Are your prayers big?...

July 29, 2024  Today's Reading: Genesis 9:8-17 Daily Lectionary: 1 Samuel 14:47-15:9 ; Acts 24:1-23 I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.” (Genesis 9:11) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Floods destroy! The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) says that floods are the...

July 28, 2024 Today's Reading: Mark 6:45-56 Daily Lectionary: 1 Samuel 13:1-18 ; Acts 23:12-35 He meant to pass by them, but when they saw him walking on the sea they thought it was a ghost, and cried out, for they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” (Mark 6:48–50) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The Israelites needed a...

July 27, 2024  Today's Reading: Introit for Pentecost 10 - Psalm 145:1-3, 6-7; antiphon: Psalm 145:5 Daily Lectionary: 1 Samuel 12:1-25 ; Acts 22:30-23:11 Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable. (Psalm 145:3) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Do you meditate? In our Psalm today, David does! It’s important for us to distinguish the meditation that Scripture exto...

July 26, 2024 Today's Reading: Catechism: What is the Sacrament of the Altar? Daily Lectionary: 1 Samuel 10:1-27 ; Acts 22:17-29 The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? (1 Corinthians 10:16) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. What is it?! That’s the question I hear children ask their p...

July 25, 2024  Today's Reading: Mark 10:35-45 Daily Lectionary: 1 Samuel 9:1-27 ; Acts 21:37-22:16 “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. I think it’s fair to say that James and John act and behave in the way that we likely would if we had no filter. What I mean by that is most of us would...

July 24, 2024  Today's Reading: Jeremiah 23:1-6 Daily Lectionary: 1 Samuel 8:1-22 ; Acts 21:15-36 “Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he wil...