Reflections

Daily Lectionary: 1 Samuel 4:1-22; Acts 16:23-40 Then he brought them out and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" And they said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household." (Acts 16:30-31) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The jailer thought he had failed in his duty. As a Roman jailer,  your life was over if your prisoners escaped while in your custody. This man...

Today's Reading: Small Catechism:  First Petition of the Lord's Prayer Daily Lectionary: 1 Samuel 3:1-21; Acts 16:1-22 God' s name is certainly holy in itself, but we pray in this petition that it may be kept holy among us also. ( Small Catechism:  First Petition of the Lord's Prayer) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. God is holy, so His Name is always holy on account of who He is. Yet Martin Luther t...

Today's Reading: 1 Peter 3:8-15 Daily Lectionary: 1 Samuel 2:18-36; Acts 15:22-41 But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect. (1 Peter 3:15) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. In 1 Peter 3, we are told how a believer in Christ is supposed to think, act, a...

Today's Reading:   1 Kings 19:11-21 Daily Lectionary: 1 Samuel 1:21-2:17; Galatians 6:1-18 And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire, the sound of a low whisper. (1 Kings 19:12) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The appearance of the Lord to Elijah in 1 Kings is not how I would come if I were God. If I were God, I would come in the earthquake and the fire. T...

Today's Reading: Luke 5:1-11 Daily Lectionary: 1 Samuel 1:1-20; Galatians 5:1-26 But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord." (Luke 5:8) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The calling of the first disciples has always been a fascinating story for me. The fishermen's day was over. They were getting ready to head home and go to bed aft...

Today's Reading: Introit for the Fifth Sunday after Trinity       (Psalm 27:1a, 11-12, 14; antiphon: v.7, 9b) Daily Lectionary: Judges 16:4-30; Galatians 4:12-31 O, you who have been my help, forsake me not, O God of my salvation! The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? (Introit for the Fifth Sunday after Trinity) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The Introit for today is from Psalm...

Daily Lectionary: Judges 15:1-16:3; Galatians 3:23-4:11 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law so that we might receive adoption as sons. (Galatians 4:4-5) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. How often have you waited with eager expectation for something? Maybe it was a birthday, spring break, or Christmas...

Daily Lectionary: Judges 14:1-20; Galatians 3:1-22 But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. (Galatians 3:22) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. In Galatians 3, Paul teaches about the Law and the Gospel. In order to understand the Bible, we need to be clear on the distinction between the two. The Bible was writte...

Today's Reading: Small Catechism:  Introduction to the Lord' s Prayer Daily Lectionary: Judges 13:1-25; Galatians 2:1-21 Our Father who art in heaven. ( Small Catechism:  Introduction to the Lord' s Prayer) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Martin Luther writes that God invites us to believe that He is our true Father. Have you ever thought about what this actually means? You are a child of the Almigh...

Today's Reading:   Romans 12:14-21 Daily Lectionary: Judges 7:1-23; Galatians 1:1-24 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. (Romans 12:18) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. In the twelfth chapter of Romans, Paul writes to the church in Rome and to us about how we are to act and live in the midst of trials. As believers in Christ, the Church will always face hardship and per...

Today's Reading:   Genesis 50:15-21 Daily Lectionary: Judges 6:25-40; Acts 15:6-21 "You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good to bring it about that many people should be kept alive as they are today." (Genesis 50:20) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Joseph's brothers hated him. They hated his dreams, his coat, his status as the favorite, and they especially hated his tattling. The brother...

Today's Reading:   Luke 6:36-42 Daily Lectionary: Judges 6:1-24; Acts 14:19-15:4 "Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful." (Luke 6:36) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. We judge everything, everywhere, all the time. Do you like the food you eat? Do you like the outfit your friend is wearing? Do you agree with the post you just read? Every day we determine whether we like things or not,  or if so...

Daily Lectionary: Judges 4:1-24; Acts 14:1-18        But Jael the wife of Heber took a tent peg, and took a hammer in her hand. Then she went softly to him and drove the peg into his temple until it went down into the ground while he was lying fast asleep from weariness. (Judges 4:21) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. And the people did what was evil in the sight of the Lord . . . once again. Of cours...

Daily Lectionary: Judges 3:7-31; Acts 13:42-52  After him was Shamgar the son of Anath, who killed 600 of the Philistines with an oxgoad, and he also saved Israel. (Judges 3:31) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The judges who we find in the book of Judges are saviors.  That is literally their job description, as laid out in Judges 2:16. Judges are mini-Jesuses, saving God's people from their enemies...

Today's Reading: Small Catechism:  Apostles' Creed, Third Article part 2 Daily Lectionary: Judges 2:6-23; Acts 13:13-41  In the same way He calls, gathers, enlightens and sanctifies the whole Christian church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith. In this Christian church He daily and richly forgives all my sins and the sins of all believers. ( Small Catechism: Apostles' C...

Today's Reading: Isaiah 40:1-5 Daily Lectionary: Joshua 24:1-31; Acts 13:1-12    Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the Lord's hand double for all her sins. (Isaiah 40:1-2)  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Isaiah is probably one of the best-known prophets in the Ol...

Today's Reading: 1 Peter 5:6-11 Daily Lectionary: Joshua 23:1-16; Acts 12:1-25  Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. (1 Peter 5:8b-9) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. There is no promise of a life without suffering,...

Today's Reading:   Micah 7:18-20 Daily Lectionary: Joshua 10:1-25; Acts 11:19-30  Who is a God like you,pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in steadfast love. (Micah 7:18)  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Micah is a hard man, a hard prophet. He says some things that are pretty difficult to hea...

Today's Reading: Luke 15:1-10 Daily Lectionary: Joshua 8:1-28; Acts 11:1-18  Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, "This man receives sinners and eats with them." (Luke 15:1-2)  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The Lord is surrounded by the "wrong" type of people. That is what the "right" type of people think, anyway....

Today's Reading: Luke 1:39-56 Daily Lectionary: Joshua 7:1-26; Acts 10:34-48  "For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy." (Luke 1:44)  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Pebble-sized preborn Jesus makes His way to visit His cousin, His forerunner, the one who will make His paths straight. At Mary's arrival, the other bitty baby, John, hears her gre...

Daily Lectionary: Joshua 6:6-27; Acts 10:17-33 And [Peter] said to them, "You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with or to visit anyone of another nation, but God has shown me that I should not call any person common or unclean." (Acts 10:28) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Just before our text, Peter has a vision. It's an odd one at that:  A giant picnic sheet is dropped dow...

Today's Reading: Small Catechism:  Apostles' Creed, Third Article part 1 Daily Lectionary: Joshua 5:1-6:5; Acts 10:1-17 I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy, Christian church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. What does this mean? I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or...

Today's Reading: Matthew 16:13-20 Daily Lectionary: Joshua 4:1-24; Acts 9:23-43 Simon Peter replied, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." (Matthew 16:16) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. It may seem strange that we celebrate the feast of Peter and Paul on the exact same day. After all, they probably didn't spend all that much time together. After the Damascus road, Paul was jet-setting al...

Today's Reading: Proverbs 9:1-10 Daily Lectionary: Joshua 2:1-24; Acts 8:26-40 [Wisdom] has sent out her young women to call from the highest places in the town, "Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!" To him who lacks sense she says, "Come, eat of my bread and drink of the wine I have mixed. Leave your simple ways, and live, and walk in the way of insight." (Proverbs 9:3-6) In the Name + of Je...

Today's Reading: 1 John 3:13-18 Daily Lectionary: Joshua 3:1-17; Acts 9:1-22 By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. (1 John 3:16) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. What is love? We don't need to guess what it means to love someone. Jesus has shown us His and the Father's love for us, that He laid down His life for us. He did this i...