Martin Luther's Evening Prayer

Many Christians feel called to "witness," that is to tell what God has done for us in Christ. The Psalmist shows us how it is done in Psalm 40 where he calls on the Lord in trouble, is delivered, and tells how God blessed him in this way. Dr. Zeile's exposition of this ancient believer's experience relates to each of us in the 21st Century. A reading from Colossians 3,  the 15t...

Psalm 95 is the traditional Psalm for Sunday Matins and invites us, "O Come let us sing to the Lord...Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving!" If God is everywhere at all times, what do we mean by these words? Dr. Zeile explains the kinds of presence and the meaningful, joyful kind that is Christian worship.  A reading from Hebrews 2, the litany, and the 18th Century classic hym...

The Psalmist asserts that God counts the number of the stars and yet concerns Himself with the broken-hearted. What a magnificent God who takes in the infinite, giant stars, and yet concerns Himself with our paltry woes! This meditation is accompanied by a reading from Luke 12, the Magnificat, general prayers, and the Evangelical classic, "When Peace like a River." Send us Fan Mail

What does the Psalmist mean when he asserts that "The Lord is my light and my salvation"? Dr. Zeile considers light's role in revealing what is real versus what is merely shadow, and our need of what God reveals which we could not discern on our own. The rite of Holy Communion (mass , Liturgy, or Lord's Supper) is included as well as the classic 18th Century hymn, "What is...

The Psalmist asks, "Who will stand before the Lord" and "enter His Holy City?" The answer, in a word, is the individual of integrity. But our culture has downplayed and ignored integrity for the last two generations or more as we encourage people to "follow the heart" with its contradictory and inconsistent desires, resulting in frustration, despair, and self-defeatin...

Is nostalgia a good thing? Or is it a misunderstanding of the past? Dr. Zeile discusses the role of this human experience from the perspective of the ancients and of the Psalmist and exposes what is true and false. The celebration of Holy Communion and the Dutch hymn "We Praise Thee, O God of our Fathers, We Bless Thee," are included in this broadcast. Send us Fan Mail

Dr. Zeile reads the Psalm in each of three classic English translations from the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries. Send us Fan Mail

After relating the story of the Wise Men's visit, and Herod's attempt to kill the Christ Child, Matthew observes that after living as a refugee in Egypt, Christ returned to Israelite territory, the Scripture had been fulfilled, "Out of Israel I have called My Son." But this was spoken through Hosea concerning the people of Israel at the time of the Exodus. What did the Christ h...

Three classic English translations of the Psalm. Send us Fan Mail

There is power in a name. Jesus invites us to use His powerful name, the Name above all names, to access the Father. We will receive, not what we want, but what we would want if we knew what is best for us. This meditation is accompanied by Psalm 100, the Magnificat, and a classic 19th Century hymn, "How Sweet the Name of Jesus sounds in a believer's ear." Send us Fan Mail

This is part of an Advent series, "People of God Living with the Promise." In this episode, those living with the promise as exiles, defeated and torn from their homes, is considered. Such tragedies in our lives can open our eyes to the transcendent and greater blessing God has for us in the future, and the value of that promise for our day-to-day lives.  The message accompanies the serv...

St. Paul encourages us to abound- but how? God is the source and thus it is by connecting with Him that we receive grace to share with others. This is illustrated by trhe Lord's prayer in which we ask God to  "Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors..."  We can only pass on what we have received, therefore staying connected to God's means of grace, Word and Sacrament is...

Many people cannot relate to God. Just as one who does not visit his brother will not have a relationship with him, so many who were introduced to God do not follow through. This meditation clarifies what it is to have a relationship, particularly a saving relationship with our Heavenly Father. Psalm 133 which celebrates relationship, and the Te Deum (along with other elements of Matins, the Churc...

To celebrate something is to affirm that it is good. St. Paul encourages us to recognize what is truly good by celebrating, affirming, encouraging, and aclling attention to what is good so that we will enjoy surpassing peace, despite the ups and downs of temporal life. The message is part of the celebration of Vespers, the Church's evening prayer based on the Psalms. Send us Fan Mail

This message for Christmas meditates on the expectations we have for children whose potential is before them. The birth of Christ engendered such expectations, and He confounded them by being both less and greater than our hopes, for God often denies us what we want in order to provide something unimaginably better. Christmas readings and hymns accompany this message, and it closes with a cello so...

Herod Antipas was a man in two worlds, Roman and Jewish; similarly, he heard two voices calling him, the one to honor and the other to self-indulgence. John the Baptist confronted him with his sin and Herod had him arrested, but could not keep himself from talking to the prophet in prison. Finally circumstances forced his choice with tragic consequences. Are you torn between living for self and li...

Primal forces at work within us (microcosm)  and without us (macrocosm) are order and chaos.  Our fallen world tends toward chaos unless outside forces overcome the tendency for things to fall apart. It is why cars need maintenance and gardens need care. It is a reflection of the cosmic victory celebrated by the Psalmist in the 148th Psalm, and rehearsed in the Genesis 1 story of 7 Day's Crea...

"No man is a hero to his valet," is the saying most commonly expressed as "Familiarity breeds contempt." This is especially true for those who are familiar with religion, regarding it as part of themselves, regarding is as "common." Jesus was rejected by those who knew Him best (by human standards), but could not see who He really was. And we can do it with our famili...

The tax collector was willing to humiliate himself to see Jesus, and Jesus took notice. The encounter with Jesus changed, not just his heart or sentiments, but his way of life, even his spending decisions! The classic hymn "Salvation unto Us Has Come" recalls Jesus pronouncement that "Salvation is come today into this house." The general prayer for All Saints' Day, and the...

Psalm 46 is the source of Luther's Reformation hymn, "A Mighty Fortress is Our God," and is the basis for Dr. Zeile's message explaining what the Reformation was about- the glory of God centered in the work of Christ for our salvation. No human works intervene lest anyone should boast, imagining he has merit over others, nor despair, imagining that he is irredeemable. The Refor...

God's Word is simple- "love!" But HOW are we to love God and others? The life to which we apply God's Word is complicated, and so it requires the best we can give it, and even so, there are many times when we must walk by faith and not by sight, when we must accept God's commands and promises despite the contravening messages of our heart. John freely discusses the complic...

Deacon Dave Valenti leads in the prayer for God's blessing on the Martin Luther's Evening Prayer on the inception of international short wave broadcasting.  Send us Fan Mail

Deacon Dave Valenti reads Luther's exhortation as part of the Reformation Service Send us Fan Mail

Ezekiel saw a valley of dry bones and is told to preach to the Spirit/Wind/Breath. The point is that God's people will be brought back, despite their reduction to bones and dust. And it is the Holy Spirit, the Wind or Breath of God that will awaken us on the Last Day.  This Pentecost message is accompanied by the Confessional rite, Introit, and Kyrie, the Nicene Creed and the hymn, O Day of J...

Forgiveness is for those who want to be free from their sin, not those who wish to indulge further. When we use forgiveness as an excuse to sin more, we are receiving grace in vain and condemning ourselves further. This sobering message is accompanied by St. Patrick's Breastplate ("I Bind Unto Myself This Day the Strong Name of the Trinity"), the eschatological hymn "A Multitud...