Zion Lutheran Sioux Falls

A battle has been raging over the centuries between those who ignore the hard truth that we are sinners, hopeless by ourselves, and those who have realized the real good that our Lord has graciously won for us.  At the time of Jeremiah, self-proclaimed prophets such as Hananiah preached a false peace even as Israel was in exile in Babylon.  In Paul’s day, members of the Early Church thought freedo...

Jesus’ followers are “peculiar” people. Following the path that He has blazed for you means your walk will be “out of step” with a sinful world. Jesus shakes you out of the customary ways of thinking, speaking, and “doing,” inviting us to follow Him. A journey that, unsurprisingly, goes through valleys of rejection and suffering, after all “a student is not above his teacher….it’s enough for the s...

We are the helpless, harassed sheep who foolishly promise we can keep God's Law perfectly (Exodus). Knowing we can't, Christ dies for us while we are still His broken, weak enemies (Romans). Moved by profound compassion, Jesus sends out His Church into the world to deliver this free gift of life and forgiveness to all who are weary (Matthew). It shifts the focus entirely away from what w...

Hosea exposes the emptiness of mere ritual, calling instead for a steadfast love that acknowledges our deep spiritual need. In Romans, Paul highlights Abraham to show that justification never comes through fulfilling the Law, but entirely by faith in God's promises. Finally, Jesus encapsulates this in Matthew, declaring that He came to call sinners, not the self-righteous, offering mercy over...

Today the Church celebrates Trinity Sunday. It is a day to bask in the wonder of knowing the triune God - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - who has been revealed to us in the Scriptures. While we often think about the three persons of the Trinity having their own areas of expertise (the Father creates, the Son redeems, the Spirit sanctifies), the Readings for today focus on how the three persons of t...

  “What does this mean?” This question might sound familiar to anyone who has spent time studying Luther’s Small Catechism. As the catechism covers each of the Six Chief Parts, the question is asked again and again: “What does this mean?” And then explanation follows. This same question was asked by many in the crowd on the Day of Pentecost, as recorded in Acts 2. As the people hear and see these...

AS WE GATHER : I glorified You on earth, having accomplished the work that You gave me to do. Jesus prays. Jesus reveals that His greatest glory is to enter into suffering with us and for us. And not only on the cross as He did when His hour came. But also to join us in our present day suffering, to shine the glory of His death for us as we walk through this journey of life. Even now, He glorifies...

Today is a day of overlapping identities and deep emotions. In the secular calendar, we celebrate Mother’s Day … a day of gratitude for the gift of life, nurture, and the hands that held us when we were small. In the Church’s calendar, we stand in the bright, lingering light of the Resurrection, observing the Sixth Sunday of Easter. At first glance, these two might seem to pull us in different dir...

The Rite of Confirmation, while not commanded in Scripture, is a special custom in the church.  Confirmation is not a “graduation” or “completion,” rather it is a day that celebrates God’s gift and work in the life of the student publicly confessing his faith. This day looks back to the promise made in Baptism and looks ahead to a whole life lived in faith. “We rejoice with thankful hearts that yo...

Our Bible Reading of the Day is 1 Samuel 8:4–9:2; 10:17–27; 11:12–15. Desiring to be like all the other nations, the elders come to Samuel asking him to appoint a king over Israel. Samuel vainly tries to warn against their plan, telling the consequences the people face. God reveals to Samuel that he will encounter the handsome Saul, whom he anoints as king over Israel. God expected His people to t...

AS WE GATHER :  Consider a time in your life when someone showed you mercy. When was that, and what was it like?  Perhaps it was for a late homework assignment in school, forgiveness when you dropped the ball on a project at work, or maybe even forgiving a loan of some sort. Mercy is compassion and forgiveness    toward someone who either doesn’t deserve it or actually deserves punishment. In the...