Reflections

December 23, 2025 Today's Reading: Deuteronomy 18:15-19 Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 43:25-44:20 ; Revelation 11:1-19 “…I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him” (Deuteronomy 18:18) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. God charges every prophet, disciple, apostle, and pastor to speak His Word; thus, the wide sense of Deuteronomy 18:18. God gives His Word to His men...

December 22, 2025 Today's Reading: John 1:19-28  Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 43:1-24 ; Revelation 9:13-10:11 “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said” (John 1:23) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The Pharisees sent priests and Levites to scope out the preacher, the first of many encounters between God and His enemies recorded in...

December 21, 2025 Today's Reading: John 20:24-29 Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 42:1-25 ; Revelation 9:1-12 “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (John 20:29) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Thomas refused to believe his brothers’ testimony of the risen Christ. He wanted concrete proof, a living body he could feel, a real visual for the eyes. This makes sense. Jesus had prophesied Hi...

December 20, 2025 Today's Reading: Introit for Advent 4 - Psalm 19:1, 4-6; antiphon: Isaiah 45:8a Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 40:18-41:10 ; Revelation 8:1-13 "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork." (Psalm 19:1) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The heavens declare. The sky proclaims. The glory of God is spoken. The handiwork of God is revealed. Creation itself s...

December 19, 2025 Today's Reading: Revelation 7:1-17 Daily Lectionary: I saiah 40:1-17 ; Revelation 7:1-17 "These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." (Revelation 7:14b) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. As we said on Wednesday, Revelation is not a timeline of the last days, but an image of Christ and His Church a...

December 18, 2025 Today's Reading: Catechism - Table of Duties: To Widows Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 34:1-2, 8-35:10 ; Micah 1:1-7:20 ; Revelation 6:1-17 "She who is truly a widow, left all alone, has set her hope on God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day, but she who is self-indulgent is dead even while she lives." (1 Timothy 5:5-6) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The Table of D...

December 17, 2025 Today's Reading: Revelation 5:1-14 Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 33:1-24 ; Revelation 5:1-14 "...I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain..." (Revelation 5:6) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Revelation is not a timeline of the last days, but an image of Christ and His Church at all times. Sure, the pictures described inside make the imagination run wild. But all of Scripture t...

December 16, 2025 Today's Reading: 1 Corinthians 4:1-5 Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 32:1-20 ; Revelation 4:1-11 "This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God." (1 Corinthians 4:1) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. It is important to know what a pastor isn't and what a pastor is. Since he's in front of the congregation all the time, we sometimes think he's th...

December 15, 2025 Today's Reading: Isaiah 40:1-11 Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 30:27-31:9 ; Revelation 3:1-22 "A voice cries: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain." (Isaiah 40:3-4) In the Name + of Jes...

December 14, 2025 Today's Reading: Matthew 11:2-11 Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 30:15-26 ; Revelation 2:1-29 "Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?" (Matthew 11:3) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. John the Baptizer has been faithful since before he was born. John leapt in his mother Elizabeth's womb in greeting when Jesus visited inside Mary before He was born. He proclaimed a bap...

December 13, 2025 Today's Reading: Introit for Advent 3 - Psalm 85:1-2, 6, 8; antiphon: Phil. 4:4-5 Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 29:15-30:14 ; Revelation 1:1-20 "You forgave the iniquity of your people; you covered all their sin." (Psalm 85:2) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The Introit for tomorrow comes from Psalm 85, but there's a part of many psalms that we don't bother with very often. If you open...

December 12, 2025 Today's Reading: Jude 1-25 Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 29:1-14 ; Jude 1-25 "I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints." (Jude 3b)  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The letter from St. Jude, also known as Thaddeus, to the Church is short. But in it, the apostle sees that false teachers are twisting God's Word, a...

December 11, 2025 Today's Reading: Catechism - Table of Duties: To Youth Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 28:14-29 ; 1 John 5:1-21 ; 2 John 1-13 ; 3 John 1-15 "Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’ Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that...

December 10, 2025 Today's Reading: 1 John 4:1-21 Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 26:20-27:13; 1 John 4:1-21 "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world." (1 John 4:1) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. False prophets don't come with warning labels. They do not advertise that they are wolves dressed as sheep....

December 9, 2025 Today's Reading: Romans 15:4-13 Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 26:1-19 ; 1 John 3:1-24 "For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope." (Romans 15:4) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. I've sometimes heard people say they like Jesus pretty well, but that Old Testament God sure...

December 8, 2025 Today's Reading: Malachi 4:1-6 Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 24:14-25:12 ; Obadiah 1-21 ; 1 John 2:15-29 "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes." (Malachi 4:5) "On the Last Day He will raise me and all the dead, and give eternal life to me and all believers in Christ. This is most certainly true." (End of the Explanation of the Th...

December 7, 2025 Today's Reading: Luke 21:25-36 Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 24:1-13 ; 1 John 1:1-2:14 "Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near." (Luke 21:28) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Where is God? The nations are in distress, the earth roars with violence, people are fainting with fear, the powers are shaken. Where is...

December 6, 2025 Today's Reading: Introit for Advent 2 - Psalm 80:1, 3, 14, 17; antiphon: Isaiah 62:11b; 30:30, 29 Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 14:1-23 ; 2 Peter 3:1-18 “Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your salvation comes.’ The Lord will cause his majestic voice to be heard, and you shall have gladness of heart. Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock! You who are enthr...

December 5, 2025 Today's Reading: Isaiah 11:1-12:6 Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 11:1-12:6 ; 2 Peter 2:1-22 “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.” (Isaiah 12:2) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. “Salvation” is a powerful word, but you might not use it every day. We’re more familiar with the verb “to s...

December 4, 2025 Today's Reading: Catechism - Table of duties: To Employers and Supervisors Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 10:12-27a, 33-34 ; 2 Peter 1:1-21 “ Masters, do the same to [your bondservants], and stop your threatening, knowing that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and that there is no partiality with him.” (Ephesians 6:9) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Well, this is an awkw...

December 3, 2025 Today's Reading: Romans 13:(8-10) 11-14 Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 9:8-10:11 ; 1 Peter 5:1-14 “Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.” (Romans 13:11-12) In th...

December 2, 2025 Today's Reading: Jeremiah 23:5-8 Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 8:9-9:7 ; 1 Peter 4:1-19 “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 w...

December 1, 2025 Today's Reading: Matthew 21:1-9 Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 7:10-8:8 ; 1 Peter 3:1-22 “ And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, 'Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!’” (Matthew 21:9) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Wait, how did a Holy Week reading break into December? Palm Sunday happened...

November 30, 2025 Today's Reading: John 1:35-42a Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 6:1-7:9 ; 1 Peter 2:13-25 “One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ (which means Christ)” (John 1:40-41) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Andrew told his brother that they had found Jesus, the Messi...

November 29, 2025 Today's Reading: Introit for Advent 1 - Psalm 25:4-5, 21-22; antiphon: Psalm 25:1-3a Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 5:1-25 ; Amos 1:1-9:15 ; 1 Peter 2:1-12 “Redeem Israel, O God, out of all his troubles.” (Psalm 25:22) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.   Advent strikes a truer chord in the Psalms. We wait for the God who has made great promises. Let me not be put to shame. By the devil, wh...