Reflections

Daily Lectionary: Ezekiel 34:1-24 ; Romans 3:19-31 For there is no distinction:  for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus (Romans 3:22b-24) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. All have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory.  That’s a stark word of judgment.  God’s Law tells you this.  You haven’t kep...

Today's Reading: Table of Duties: To Wives Daily Lectionary: Ezekiel 33:1-20 ; Romans 3:1-18 “And you, son of man, say to the house of Israel, Thus have you said: ‘Surely our transgressions and our sins are upon us, and we rot away because of them. How then can we live?’  Say to them, As I live, declares the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his...

Today's Reading: Romans 6:1-11 Daily Lectionary: Ezekiel 18:1-4, 19-32 ; Romans 2:17-29 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. (Romans 6:5) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. It seems pretty normal to think about your baptism in the past tense, like it’s something from which you’ve moved on. But no Christian ever moves...

Today's Reading: Isaiah 42:1-9 Daily Lectionary: Ezekiel 3:12-27 ; Romans 2:1-16 “I am the Lord; I have called you in righteousness;     I will take you by the hand and keep you; I will give you as a covenant for the people,     a light for the nations, 7     to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon,     from the prison those who sit in darkness. 8 I am the Lord...

Today's Reading: Matthew 3:13-17 Daily Lectionary: Ezekiel 2:1-3:11 ; Romans 1:18-32 13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. 14 John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15 But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. 16 And when Je...

Today's Reading: Introit for the Baptism of Our Lord Daily Lectionary: Ezekiel 1:1-14, 22-28 ; Romans 1:1-17 I will tell of the decree:  The Lord said to me, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage,  and the ends of the earth your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron  and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.” Now theref...

Today's Reading: Matthew 2:1-12 Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 66:1-20 ; Luke 3:21-38 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary, his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. (Matthew 2:10-11) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. If you’ve ev...

Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 65:8-25 ; Luke 3:1-20 So with many other exhortations he preached good news to the people. (Luke 3:18) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.  A blessed and joy filled Christmas to all the Saints of God!  John the Baptist is making ready the people of God for the beginning of Jesus’ ministry.  We have journeyed with the Christ child through this season of Christmas.  The angels hav...

Today's Reading: Table of Duties: To Husbands Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 64:15-65:2 ; Luke 2:41-52 Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them. (Colossians 3:19) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The gift of marriage between a man and a woman is a paradigm of the relationship Christ has with His holy bride.  As we begin to close out the season of Christmas we are drawn once again to the man...

Today's Reading:   Galatians 3:23-29 Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 63:1-14 ; Luke 2:21-40 “for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” (Galatians 3:26-27) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. A blessed and joy filled Christmas to all the saints of God!  Paul gives to the church at Galatia a reminder of who they are and whose...

Today's Reading: Numbers 6:22-27 Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 62:1-12 ; Luke 2:1-20 “So shall they put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them.”(Numbers 6:27) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. A blessed and joy filled Christmas to all the saints of God!  We have just been given the name of Jesus as He was circumcised eight days after His birth and now we again hear about the name of God’s...

Today's Reading: Luke 2:21 Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 61:1-11 ; Luke 1:57-80 And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. (Luke 2:21) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. It takes eight days before the baby Jesus is finally given His official name of Jesus.  Up until that point in time everyone knew what His nam...

Today's Reading: Luke 12:35-40 Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 60:1-22 ; Luke 1:39-56 You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” (Luke 12:40) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Tonight, many will be celebrating the ringing in of the New Year.  Tomorrow families will gather around the dinner table again as the celebration of a New Year begins.  Unfortunately for many in...

Today's Reading: Hebrews 1:1-12 Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 58:1-59:3, 14-21 ; Luke 1:26-38 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, (Hebrews 1:3) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. A blessed and joy filled Christmas to all the S...

Today's Reading:   Isaiah 52:7-10 Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 55:1-13 ; Luke 1:1-25 Break forth together into singing, you waste places of Jerusalem,for the Lord has comforted his people; he has redeemed Jerusalem. (Isaiah 52:9) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.  A blessed and joy filled Christmas to all the saints of God our Father!  The hymns’ of Christmas are still coming from the lips of His saints. ...

Today's Reading: Matthew 2:13-18 Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 52:13-54:10 ; Matthew 2:13-23 Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men. (Matthew 2:16) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. A bles...

Today's Reading: John 21:19-24 Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 51:17-52:12 ; Matthew 2:1-12 This is the disciple who is bearing witness about these things, and who has written these things, and we know that his testimony is true. (John 21:24) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.  “Just give me the truth!”  It is a common thought that resonates to many people today.  We all want to know the truth.  We all want t...

Today's Reading: Acts 6:8-7:2, 51-60 Daily Lectionary : Isaiah 49:22-26; 50:4-51:8, 12-16 ; Matthew 1:18-25   And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep. (Acts 7:60) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. A blessed and joy filled Christmas to everyone!  The 26th of December gives us a little reprieve during a...

Today's Reading: Luke 2:1-20 Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 49:1-18 ; Matthew 1:1-17 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn .   In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. At just the right time, Jesus was born.  At just the right time, God sent His son to be born of a woman.  At just the right time God sent...

Today's Reading: Isaiah 7:10-14 Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 44:21-45:13, 20-25 ; Revelation 12:1-17   “ Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Advent is over. The preparation for the coming of our Messiah is complete.  In the Divine Service we shift our hymnody from Advent to C...

Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 43:25-44:20 ; Revelation 11:1-19 I, I am he, the one blotting out your rebellions for mine own sake, and your sins I will not remember. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Blotting out rebellions?  What?  It’s almost Christmas Eve. That little Advent calendar almost has Jesus nestled in the manger. Blotting out rebellions?  We know how the game works this close to Christmas, why...

Today's Reading: Table of Duties: To Subjects Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 43:1-24 ; Revelation 9:13-10:11 “Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for any honest work” (Tit. 3:1). In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. In the explanation of the 4th Commandment, we’ve learned what it means to honor.  To honor is to hold them in high esteem, to show dignity that God h...

Today's Reading: John 20:24-29 Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 42:1-25 ; Revelation 9:1-12 “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.” (John 20:25)  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The title of the reflection says it all: St. Thomas, Apostle.  That’s how we should remember Thomas.  But we’ve loved...

Today's Reading: Romans 1:1-7 Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 40:18-41:10 ; Revelation 8:1-13 Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh (Romans 1:3b). In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.  God became a man, meaning that all that was common to fallen men was what Jesus understood, knew, lived, and bore with.  Jesus cried, felt pain, knew ridicule and being made fun of. He...

Today's Reading: Isaiah 7:10-17 Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 40:1-17 ; Revelation 7:1-17 Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz:“Ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.” But Ahaz said, I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test. (Isaiah 7:10-12) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Throughout the Holy Scriptures, with few exceptions, there are two voices.  The consisten...