Lent 5: Old Testament, Jeremiah 31:31-34 Jeremiah 31:31-34 “We are saved by a relationship with One who is God.” So spoke my dear professor and mentor, Dr. John G. Mitchell at Multnomah Biblical Seminary in Portland, Oregon. I graduated in 1986 so as you can...
Lent 4: Gospel, John 3:14-21 John 3:14-21 Nicodemus, the “teacher of Israel” comes to our Lord at night. Darkness is a good blanket. Paul, later in the New Testament even reminds us that folks...
Lent 4: Epistle, Ephesians 2:1-10 Ephesians 2:1-10 This coming Sunday’s epistle lesson includes verses among the most quoted by Christians, and always lovingly by Lutherans, in particular. “For by grace you have been saved, through faith...
Lent 4: Old Testament, Numbers 21:4-9 Numbers 21:4-9 “But you promised.” I wonder how often those words have been spoken in human history. They are spoken with disappointment and sometimes even in anger when a promise made is not kept. Think of...
Lent 3: Gospel, John 2:23-25 John 2:23-25 This week’s gospel has an additional tag or extension to the reading and I’m going to focus on that. It comes on the tail of Jesus...
Lent 3: Epistle, 1 Corinthians 1:18-31 1 Corinthians 1:18-31 Lots of people like to talk. Nearly as many like to hear themselves talk. It’s probably safe to say that it has always been that...
Lent 3: Old Testament, Exodus 20:1-17 Exodus 20:1-17 Exodus chapter twenty is one of the “Biggies” in the Bible. Yes, I know it’s all inspired and that makes all of it...
Second Sunday in Lent: Gospel, Mark 8:27-38 Mark 8:27-38 Three times Jesus teaches His closest disciples of His impending death. In Mark those times come in rapid succession in chapters 8-10. And after each time Jesus spends time teaching about...
Lent 2: Epistle, Romans 5:1-11 Romans 5:1-11 If you have hung around God’s people for any length of time, at least in America, you will hear the refrain, “God is never...
Lent 2: Old Testament, Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16 Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16 I think most of us know the importance of names in the Bible. The names of those that we run across in our journey through its pages hold a significance that does not...
