Baptism Identifies
The Baptism of Our Lord: Gospel, Luke 3:15-22 Luke 3:15-22 Our reading today answers a question. At least it attempts to answer a question swirling around the person of John the Baptist. “Could he be the Messiah,&rdquo...
Wealth Beyond Words
The Baptism of Our Lord, Epistle, Romans 6:1-11 Romans 6:1-11 One of my most-visited passages. I believe it is a pivotal text. And as a Lutheran, it is even more critical to me than when I was an evangelical. By the way, the...
Wide Embrace
The Baptism of our Lord: Old Testament Reading, Isaiah 43:1-7 Isaiah 43:1-7 Isaiah 43 is one of those chapters that God’s people may return to again and again for its rich and grand promises. This is my first meditation...
Seeing Salvation
First Sunday after Christmas: Gospel, Luke 2:22-40 Luke 2:22-40 I love Simeon. I haven’t checked, but I think I may have begun a meditation with that very line at this time last year. That’s alright. I loved him then and...
All About Forgiving
First Sunday after Christmas: Epistle, Colossians 3:12-17 Colossians 3:12-17 What is Advent about? And Christmas? Well the first-grade Sunday School answer certainly applies. In other words, “Jesus” is the correct answer. But can we go...
First In LIne
First Sunday After Christmas: Old Testament, Exodus 13:1-3a, 11-15 Exodus 13:1-3a, 11-15 God sets apart the first-born in the lines of Israel. And it begins as a result of His rescuing their first-born sons as the tenth in a line of plagues...
Pregnant Words for a Maiden With Child
Advent 4: Gospel, Luke 1:39-45 Luke 1:39-45 I advocate that we need to know as much about the mother...
Saved By Works
Advent 4: Epistle, Hebrews 10:5-10 Hebrews 10:5-10 We find ourselves coming to the close of the Advent season. Rightly...
What the World Needs Now is...
Advent 4: Old Testament, Micah 5:2-5a Micah 5:2-5a Promises of a coming Savior. Nothing is more precious to the Christian. Why? Because in the coming (and now...
The Right Man for the Job
Advent 3: Gospel, Luke 7:18-28 Luke 7:18-28 I love John the Baptist. I always have. I often quip in my classes that he should have been called...
