Reflections

February 17, 2024  Today's Reading: Introit for Lent 1 Daily Lectionary: Job 13:1-12 ; John 6:1-21 For he will command his angels concerning you  to guard you in all your ways. On their hands they will bear you up,  lest you strike your foot against a stone..” Psalm 91:9-11 In The Name of Jesus. How strong do you feel against Satan? How good at turning back the temptations of the demons? Maybe we...

February 16, 2024  Today's Reading:  Daily Lectionary: Job 12:1-6, 12-25; John 5:30-47 For the works that the Father has given me to accomplish, the very works that I am doing, bear witness about me that the Father has sent me. John 5:36 In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Jesus gives us so much in those few words: “the works that the Father has given me.” What does it mean to be Son of the Father? For...

February 15, 2024  Today's Reading: Luther’s Small Catechism, 8th Commandment Daily Lectionary: Job 11:1-20 ; John 5:19-29 You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.  What does this mean? We should fear and love God so that we do not tell lies about our neighbor, betray him, slander him, or hurt his reputation, but defend him, speak well of him, and explain everything in the kindest...

February 14, 2024  Today's Reading:  Daily Lectionary: Job 10:1-22 ; John 5:1-18 [Job said,] I loathe my very life;     therefore I will give free rein to my complaint     and speak out in the bitterness of my soul. I say to God: Do not declare me guilty,     but tell me what charges you have against me. Does it please you to oppress me? Job 10:1-3 In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Do you want to argu...

February 13, 2024   Today's Reading: 2 Corinthians 3:12-18 Daily Lectionary: Job 9:1-35 ; John 4:46-54 But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 2 Corinthians 3:17 In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Freedom is a nice word. As Americans we love it. Freedom from oppression, freedom to speak your mind without fea...

February 12, 2024  Today's Reading: 2 Kings 2:1-12 Daily Lectionary: Job 8:1-22; John 4:27-45 2 Kings 2:9: When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, "Ask what I shall do for you, before I am taken from you.” And Elisha said, ‘Please let there be a double portion of your spirit on me.’” In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. That’s a strange request. What does Elisha want with those words, “a double por...

February 11, 2024  Today's Reading: Mark 9:2-9 Daily Lectionary: Job 7:1-21 ; John 4:7-26 Mark 9:6 “For he [Peter] did not know what to say, for they were terrified.” In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. It’s impressive—Jesus, God the Son from Heaven, standing on a mountain in radiant white clothing like never seen before. Moses lived some 1,500 years before the Transfiguration, he’s standing there with...

February 10, 2024  Today's Reading: Introit Psalm 99:1–5; antiphon: v. 9 Daily Lectionary: Job 6:1-13 ; John 3:1-21 Introit for the Transfiguration Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at his holy mountain;  for the Lord our God is holy! The Lord reigns; let the peoples tremble!  He sits enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth quake! The Lord is great in Zion;  he is exalted over all the peoples...

February 9, 2024  Today's Reading:  Daily Lectionary: Job 6:1-13 ; John 3:1-21 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.” John 3:5 In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Nicodem...

February 8, 2024  Today's Reading: Luther’s Small Catechism , 7th Commandment Daily Lectionary: Job 5:1-27 ; John 2:13-25 As the head of the family should teach them in a simple way to his household. Commandment 7: You shall not steal. What does this mean? We should fear and love God so that we do not take our neighbor’s money or possessions, or get them in any dishonest way, but help him to impro...

February 7, 2024  Today's Reading:  Daily Lectionary: Job 4:1-21 ; John 2:1-12 There was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples.   When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.”   And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” John 2:1-4:  I...

February 6, 2024  Today's Reading: 1 Corinthians 9:16-27 Daily Lectionary: Job 3:11-26 ; John 1:35-51 For if I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! …I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings. (1 Cor. 9:16,23) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The Apostle Paul wants to p...

February 5, 2024  Today's Reading: Isaiah 40:21-31 Daily Lectionary: Job 2:1-3:10 ; John 1:19-34 Isaiah 40:28-31: 28 Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God,     the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary;     his understanding is unsearchable. 29 He gives power to the faint,     and to him who has no might he increases strength. 30 Even y...

February 4, 2024  Today's Reading: Mark 1:29-39 Daily Lectionary: Job 1:1-22 ; John 1:1-18 “[Jesus] cast out many demons. And he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him .” (Mark 1:29-39) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The demons knew Jesus? Of course they did. Satan heard the first promise, the promise that Eve’s greater descendant would crush Satan’s head, giving salvation to t...

February 3, 2024  Today's Reading: Introit for Epiphany 5 Daily Lectionary: Job 2:1-3:10 ; John 1:19-34 I will sing to the Lord,  because he has dealt bountifully with me. Consider and answer me, O Lord my God;  light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death, lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,”  lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken. But I have trusted in your steadfast love;  my...

February 2, 2024  Today's Reading: Luke 2:22-40 Daily Lectionary: Zechariah 12:1-13:9 ; Titus 1:1-2:6 Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace,  according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation  that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles,  and for glory to your people Israel.” (Luke 2:29-32) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen....

February 1, 2024  Today's Reading: 10 Commandments, 6th Commandment Daily Lectionary: Zechariah 11:4-17 ; 2 Timothy 4:1-18 You shall not commit adultery. (The Sixth Commandment) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Adultery is such a rare word that it can be hard to understand.  One dictionary defines adultery like this: “voluntary sexual intercourse between a married person and someone other than that p...

January 31, 2024  Today's Reading:  Daily Lectionary: Zechariah 10:1-11:3 ; 2 Timothy 3:1-17 Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. (2 Timothy 3:12-13) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The way the reading from 2 Timothy 3 starts sounds like a cross between mayhem and you...

January 30, 2024  Today's Reading: 1 Corinthians 8:1-13 Daily Lectionary: Zechariah 9:1-17 ; 2 Timothy 2:1-26 But if anyone loves God, he is known by God. (1 Corinthians 8:3) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. When St Paul writes about food, his concern isn’t about nutritional value or about a diet program or about balancing enough protein to build muscle.  Paul’s concern is spiritual. When he talks ab...

January 29, 2024  Today's Reading: Deuteronomy 18:15-20 Daily Lectionary: Zechariah 8:1-23 ; 2 Timothy 1:1-18 “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen— just as you desired of the Lord your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said, ‘Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God or see this great fi...

January 28, 2024   Today's Reading: Mark 1:21-28 Daily Lectionary: Zechariah. 6:1-7:14 ; Romans 16:17-27 And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God.”  (Mark 1:23-24) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The man possessed by an unclean spiri...

January 27, 2024  Today's Reading: Introit for Epiphany 4 Daily Lectionary: Zechariah 4:1-5:11 ; Romans 15:14-33 Many are the sorrows of the wicked,  but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the Lord. Blessèd is the one whose transgression is forgiven,  whose sin is covered. Blessèd is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity,  and in whose spirit there is no deceit. I acknowledg...

January 26, 2024  Today's Reading: Luke 10:1-9 Daily Lectionary: Zechariah 2:1-3:10 ; Romans 15:1-13 And [Jesus] said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” (Luke 10:2) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Today is another festival. Much like Wednesday, this festival commemorates a pastor wh...

January 25, 2024  Today's Reading: Acts 9:1-22 Daily Lectionary: Zechariah 1:1-21 ; Romans 14:1-23 And immediately [Paul] proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.” And all who heard him were amazed and said, “Is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem of those who called upon this name? And has he not come here for this purpose, to bring them bound before the chief p...

January 24, 2024  Today's Reading: Matthew 24:42-47 Daily Lectionary: Joel 3:1-21 ; Romans 12:14-13:14 “Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions.” (Matthew 24:45-47) In the N...