Wrestling with Theology

This morning's meditation is Jesus' parable of the Wedding Banquet from Matthew 22:1-14: The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. Again he sent other servants, saying, 'Tell those who are invited, "See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves...

''Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the Scriptures: "'The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes'? Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits. And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and when it falls on anyone, it wil...

Liturgical Date: Septuagesima Calendar Date: January 31, 2021 Location: Triune God, Brooklyn Center, MN Order of Service: Divine Service 1 Hymns: #534, "Lord, Enthroned in Heavenly Splendor" #555, "Salvation unto Us Has Come" #827, "Hark, the Voice of Jesus Calling" Sermon Theme: Do You Begrudge My Generosity? Sermon Text: Matthew 20:1-16 Other Lectionary Readings:  Exodus 17:1-7 1 Corinthian...

''Finally [the vineyard owner] sent his son to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.' But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, 'This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.' And they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?" They said to him, "He will put th...

This morning's meditation is Jesus' parable of the Wicked Tenants from Matthew 21:33-41: There was a master of a house who planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a winepress in it and built a tower and leased it to tenants, and went into another country. When the season for fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to get his fruit. And the tenants took his servants and be...

January 27, 2021 Little Caesars Arena Detroit, MI Great Kabuki vs 'Dirty' Dutch Mantell 'Hot Stuff' Eddie Gilbert vs Mance Warner Television Title Match: Brickhouse Brown (c) vs 'Dangerous' Doug Gilbert Non-Title Match: Sawyer Brothers vs Moondogs Jesse James Armstrong vs 'Gentleman' Chris Adams Iceman King Parsons vs Billy Gunn Goldust & Curt Hennig vs Dangerous Duo American Heavyweight Title...

''What do you think? A man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work in the vineyard today.' And he answered, 'I will not,' but afterward he changed his mind and went. And he went to the other son and said the same. And he answered, 'I go, sir,' but did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?" They said, "The first." Jesus said to them, "Truly, I say to you, t...

''And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. He said to them, "It is written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer,' but you make it a den of robbers." (Matthew 21:12-13)'' Jesus triumphantly enters Jerusalem and heads straight to the Temple. He clears out the T...

''Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came up to him with her sons, and kneeling before him she asked him for something. And he said to her, "What do you want?" She said to him, "Say that these two sons of mine are to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom." Jesus answered, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?" They s...

Liturgical Date: Transfiguration of Our Lord Calendar Date: January 24, 2021 Location: Triune God, Brooklyn Center, MN Order of Service: Divine Service 4 Hymns: #414, "'Tis Good, Lord, to Be Here" #413, "O Wondrous Type! O Vision Fair" #417, "Alleluia! Song of Gladness" Sermon Theme: A Lamp Shining in a Dark Place Sermon Text: 2 Peter 1:16-21 Other Lectionary Readings:  Exodus 34:29-35 Matthe...

Dig deeper into Psalms 1-3!!!

''And as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside, and on the way he said to them, "See, we are going up to Jerusalem. And the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day."'' Jesus wanted His discip...

''So the last will be first, and the first last. (Matthew 20:16)'' In the kingdom of Heaven, everyone is the same. Jesus describes this as the last being first and the first being last. In Heaven, there is no first or last. Everyone is the same under Christ Jesus.  He is the head of the body. Each of us are members. All necessary to each other for survival and proper functioning of the body....

''Now when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more, but each of them also received a denarius. And on receiving it they grumbled at the master of the house, saying, 'These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.' But he replied to one of them, 'Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree...

This morning's meditation is Jesus' parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard from Matthew 20:1-16: "For the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and to t...

''Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, 'Have patience with me,...

Liturgical Date: Second Sunday after the Epiphany  Calendar Date: January 17, 2021  Location: Triune God, Brooklyn Center, MN  Order of Service: Divine Service 3  Hymns:  #394, "Songs of Thankfulness and Praise"  #402, "The Only Son from Heaven"  #399, "The Star Proclaims the King Is Here"  Sermon Theme: Jesus Manifested His Glory  Sermon Text: John 2:1...

''Then Peter came up and said to him, "Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?" Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times." (Matthew 18:21-22) One of the greatest practical questions ever asked. "How often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him?" I have nine brothers and sisters. How many times do I ha...

''For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them. (Matthew 18:20)'' How many people does it take to start a Bible study or worship service? Two or three. Jesus says, "Where two or three are gathered in My name, there am I among them." Jesus is in the midst of any group of people--no matter how small--who call upon His name in faith. We don't need a quorum to be able to worsh...

January 13, 2021 Wintrust Arena Chicago, IL Arrival: Undertaker Departure: NONE Billy Gunn def. Dutch Mantell (7:12) Iceman King Parsons def. 'Dangerous' Doug Gilbert (8:00) <em>Television Title Match:</em> Buzz Sawyer def. Brickhouse Brown (c), DQ (2:16) Jesse James Armstrong def. Shane Douglas (14:31) Austin Idol def. 'Gentleman' Chris Adams (8:04) <em>American Heavyweight Titl...

''And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. (Matthew 18:17)'' What does Jesus mean that we should treat those who refuse to listen to the Church and remain in their sins "as a Gentile and a tax collector"? Are we to hate them? Absolutely not. We are to continue to love them. We are to continue to pray for them. Pray that they turn from thei...

''If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. (Matthew 18:15-17)'' This formula is the basis for churc...

Liturgical Date: Baptism of Our Lord Calendar Date: January 10, 2021 Location: Triune God, Brooklyn Center, MN Order of Service: Divine Service 2 Hymns:  #487, "Come, You Faithful, Raise the Strain" #405, "To Jordan's River Came Our Lord" #918, "Guide Me, O Thou Great Redeemer" Sermon Theme: I Will Exalt You Sermon Text: Joshua 3:1-3, 7-8, 13-17 Other Lectionary Readings:  1 Corinthians...

''What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish. (Matth...

''Woe to the world for temptations to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes! And if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into the eternal fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away....