Reflections

April 23, 2023 Today's Reading: Luke 24:13-35 Daily Lectionary: Exodus 32:15-35 , Luke 6:39-49 “And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.” (Luke 24:27 ESV) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. There are any number of Christians that will tell you that the Bible is the Word of God. They take what it says seriously and want to...

April 22, 2023 Today's Reading: Psalm 84:1-4 ; antiphon: Psalm 84:5 Daily Lectionary: Exodus 32:1-14 , Luke 6:20-38 Blessed are those who dwell in your house,ever singing your praise!  Psalm 84:4 In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Christ is risen! In the Old Testament, the children of Israel were very familiar with where God was located.   Psalm 84 celebrates the temple of God in Jerusalem. It begins,...

April 21, 2023 Today's Reading: John 14:18-24 Daily Lectionary: Exodus 31:1-18 , Luke 6:1-19  “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” Christ is Risen“John 14:18   In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Amid a world of death and decay, it is straightforward to feel alone, lost and abandoned. The world doesn’t have an answer for death, so many want to celebrate the life lived in the valley of...

April 20, 2023 Today's Reading: Luke 5:17-39 Daily Lectionary: Exodus 25:1-22 , Luke 5:17-39 Quotation for the Reflection (citation) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Christ is risen! The church, at all times, has longed to have new members joining the Body of Christ.  Who doesn’t love to see the church grow?  It used to be that the church would evangelize through works of mercy and care for anyone in...

April 19, 2023 Today's Reading: Luther's Small Catechism Table of Duties : The Fourth Commandment Daily Lectionary: Exodus 24:1-18 , Luke 5:1-16 “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother,” which is the first com­mandment with a promise: “that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.” Ephesians 6:1-3.”  Luther’s Table of Duties - t...

April 18, 2023 Today's Reading:   1 Peter 1:3-9   Daily Lectionary: Exodus 23:14-33 , Luke 4:31-44 1Peter 1:3   Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead”.  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.  Christ is risen! I love birthdays, especially when it's the bi...

April 17, 2023 Today's Reading: Acts 5:29-42 Daily Lectionary: Exodus 22:20-23:13 , Luke 4:16-30  “But Peter and the apostles answered, ‘We must obey God rather than men.’” - Acts 5:29 In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Christ is risen! We hear quite a bit during the season from the book of Acts. On the second Sunday of Easter, Acts 5 speaks to us about the cost of confessing Christ. Peter and the apos...

April 16, 2023 Today's Reading: John 20:19-31 Daily Lectionary: Exodus 20:1-24 Luke 4:1-15 “Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so, I am sending you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”  John 20:2...

April 15, 2023 Today's Reading: Ps. 105:4-7 ; antiphon: Ps. 105:8 Daily Lectionary: Ex 19:1-25 , Heb 13:1-21 Remember the wondrous works that he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he uttered,  Psalm 105:5. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Christ is risen! An old saying says, “those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it.”  This statement is typically used to remind us of our past failures...

April 14, 2023 Today's Reading: Acts 10:34-43 Daily Lectionary: Ex 18:5-27 , Heb 12:1-24  “So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality”  Acts 10:34 In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Christ is risen! Inclusion is a trendy word today and is constantly shoved in front of our faces.  There is nothing wrong with inclusivity, but the world’s views often seem one-side...

April 13, 2023 Today's Reading: Jeremiah 31:1-6 Daily Lectionary: Ex 17:1-16 , Heb 11:1-29 At that time, declares the LORD, I will be the God of all the clans of Israel, and they shall be my people.” Jeremiah 31:1 In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Christ is risen!  We live and die by time. Whether getting up in time for school or getting to work on time, we have a clock on our wrists, phones, or compu...

April 13, 2023 Today's Reading: Jeremiah 31:1-6 Daily Lectionary: Exodus 17:1-16 , Hebrews 11:1-29 At that time, declares the LORD, I will be the God of all the clans of Israel, and they shall be my people.” Jeremiah 31:1 In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Christ is risen!  We live and die by time. Whether getting up in time for school or getting to work on time, we have a clock on our wrists, phones,...

April 12, 2023 Today's Reading: John 21:1-14 Daily Lectionary: Ex 16:13-35 , Heb 10:19-39 3 Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Christ is Risen! Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went...

April 11, 2023 Today's Reading: Luke 24:36-49 Daily Lectionary: Ex 15:19-16:12 , Heb 10:1-18 “Have you anything here to eat?” Luke 24:40 In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.   Christ is risen! If you ever attend a funeral at a church and the pastor doesn’t preach on the physical Resurrection of Jesus and the promise of the same resurrection of the deceased, you’ve been cheated.  Jesus points to this impo...

April 10, 2023 Today's Reading: Luke 24:13-35 Daily Lectionary: Ex 15:1-18 , Heb 9:1-28 When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. Luke 24:30-31 In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.  Christ is risen! Saint Luke recounts that on the Sunday of the Resurrection, two dis...

April 9, 2023 Today's Reading: Matthew 28:1-10 Daily Lectionary: Ex. 14:10-31 , Heb 9:1-28 “He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.”  Matthew 28:6 In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.   Christ is Risen!! Heard any good jokes lately? Believe it or not there were some Church Fathers who said that at Easter God played a practical joke on the devil by raising Jesus fro...

April 8,  2023 Today's Reading: Matt 27:57-66 Daily Lectionary: Ex 13:17-14:9 , Heb 7:1-22 Matthew 27:59–60: “And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut in the rock. And he rolled a great stone to the entrance of the tomb and went away.” In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The Bible isn’t much on the in-between.  We have Christmas, t...

April 7,  2023 Today's Reading: John 18:1-19:42 Daily Lectionary: Ex 12:29-32, 13:1-16 , Lam 5:1-22 , Heb 6:1-20 , Psalm 22 In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Everybody’s made the joke about “Good” Friday.  Good for us. Bad for Him. It’s not just of boomers, but of the devil. Satan can never undo what was finished when Jesus died to save you. So he tries to twist it, whispering that this sacrifice migh...

April 6,  2023 Today's Reading:   Matt 26:17-30 Daily Lectionary: Ex 12:1-28 , Lam 4:1-22 , Heb 5:1-14 , Psalm 31 Matthew 26:26–28: “Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood...

April 5,  2023 Today's Reading: Luke 22:1-23:56 Daily Lectionary: Ex 10:21-11:10 , Lam 3:1-66 , Heb 4:1-16 Luke 22:46: “and he said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation.”” In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The Garden of Gethsemane is where I brought every idea of what my life should be like, then stared dumbfounded as they were dashed to pieces in front...

April 4,  2023 Today's Reading:   Mark 14:1-15:47 Daily Lectionary: Ex 9:29-10:20 , Lam 2:1-22 , Heb 3:1-19 Mark 14:30–31: “And Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” But he said emphatically, “If I must die with you, I will not deny you.” And they all said the same.” In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. I don’t know why, but...

April 3,  2023 Today's Reading:   Matt. 26:1-27:66 Daily Lectionary: Ex 9:1-28 , Lam. 2:1-22 , Heb 3:1-19 Matthew 26:11: “For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me.” In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. It’s easy to question the LORD when He encourages expensive perfume being poured on his feet rather than sold to care for the poor. This is the thing that drove Judas to the c...

April 2,  2023 Today's Reading: Matt. 27:11-66   Daily Lectionary: Ex 8:1-32, Heb. 1:1-14 Matthew 27:54: “When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!”” In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Palm branches are for victory. Jesus rode into town to the palm leaves thrown do...

April 1,  2023 Today's Reading:  Introit for Holy Week Ps. 24:7-10 ; antiphon: Ps. 118:26 Daily Lectionary: Ex 7:1-25 , Mark 16:1-20 Psalm 24:8: “Who is this King of glory? The LORD, strong and mighty, the LORD, mighty in battle!” In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. I can see why the crowds who gathered to cry Hosanna missed it.  Hosanna.. Save us. And He does. But we measure might differently than God...

March 31,  2023 Today's Reading:   Daily Lectionary: Ex. 5:1-6:1 , Mark 15:33-47 Mark 15:34: “And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”” In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. It’s the commemoration of St. Joseph, but the Bible story is Jesus. It’s the wrong story, except it’s not. Joseph is a story about de...