... tea and you bring your own cup already filled with a mixture of salt and alum dissolved in water, what will be the result? The iced tea will be contaminated by what is already in your cup and will not quench our thirst. Indeed the resulting mixture will bear little resemblance to the iced tea I offered you in the first place. Now this is a patently homely and ridiculous illustration; none of us would intentionally do such a thing. And yet many of us come to worship in this way. We come with our resentments ...
... is saying, when the path to take is unclear and the footing is unsure, I want you to remember me - and never to forget that "I am the way, and the truth, and the life." When the weight of your sin settles upon you as a burden too heavy to bear, he is saying, I want you to remember me and the cross on which I have borne your sins and the sins of the whole world. Jesus is saying: Before you decide to profane that precious life of yours, remember me, and understand how I have valued you. Before you ...
Isaiah 11:1-16, Psalm 72:1-20, Romans 14:1--15:13, Matthew 3:1-12
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... are meant for everyone, saved and unsaved. 2. The "mightier one" - Jesus the Messiah - has come, is coming constantly, and will come again at the end of the age. 3. No one is exempt from the call to repentance as a changed life that will "bear fruit" appropriate to a Christian life-style. Good works cannot provide people with the assurance of salvation; people are saved by God's grace and initiative in his redeeming action in Jesus Christ. 4. Repent, but rejoice, for Jesus, who baptizes with fire and the ...
Matthew 17:1-13, 2 Peter 1:12-21, Exodus 24:1-18, Psalm 2:1-12
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... cannot be missed; it also functions in a two-fold manner, bringing Epiphany to its conclusion and bridging the gap between Epiphany and Ash Wednesday. "Grant to us that we, beholding by faith the light of his countenance," the prayer continues, "may be strengthened to bear our cross, and be changed into his likeness from glory to glory." The Psalm of the Day (LBW) - Psalm 2:6-12 Verse 7 makes it absolutely clear why this psalm was chosen for the Transfiguration, "Let me announce the decree of the Lord: He ...
Acts 2:14-41, Psalm 23:1-6, Acts 6:1-7, Acts 7:54--8:1a, 1 Peter 2:13-25, John 10:1-21
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... and pulpit. The clerestory tells the story of Stephen. The church might have been named St. Stephen the Deacon, or better yet, St. Stephen the Martyr, both of which are implied by simply naming the congregation St. Stephen. Whenever I go there - or to any other church bearing the name of St. Stephen - I look for a pile of stones, sometimes thinking that the lawn ought to be littered with rocks to remind all people who enter or pass by that Stephen was the first person to die for the faith after Jesus' death ...
Psalm 104:1-35, Joel 2:28-32, John 20:19-23, Acts 2:1-21
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... by God, gives to the people who belong to the body of Christ, the church. The Prayer of the Day Two prayers are provided in the LBW, both more theologically oriented to the themes of Pentecost than the classic Pentecost prayer. The first prayer bears some resemblance to the classic collect for Pentecost in that it mentions "our hearts" over against the "hearts of thy faithful people" in the older prayer, but the tense of the two prayers is different. The classic collect recalls the activity of God in ...
Psalm 100:1-5, Genesis 25:19-34, Exodus 19:1-25, Romans 5:1-11, Matthew 9:35-38, Matthew 10:1-42
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... the good news, the Gospel of our Lord. The Prayer of the Day (LBW) The Gospel for the Day is responsible for the content of this prayer. It defines the church as "a new company of priests," whom God has created and called "to bear witness to the Gospel." The "priesthood of all believers" rests on this evangelical principle; not only may all of the faithful "approach the mercyseat" of God in prayer and devotion, but they also are charged with responsibility for witnessing and proclaiming the gospel in ...
... the second reading, Roman 6:2b-11, which speaks of the "newness to life," which believers receive in the sacrament of baptism. Isaiah 2:10-17 (E) Isaiah's vision of the "last times" is spelled out graphically in the second chapter of the book that bears his name. It is an eschatological vision, which sees the power of God unleashed in the world; the mighty will be brought down and the proud will be humbled. Nothing will be able to stand against the might of God. Peace will be established when the ...
... at worship who are looking for comfort and strength to meet the exigencies of the week that has just begun. These verses come from the pastoral heart of the Good Shepherd and are his invitation to take all their troubles to him, "lean" on him, and let him bear those burdens that are too heavy for us to carry. 1. A pastoral invitation. "Come to me," says Jesus to every human being who finds that life is too difficult for him/her to face any longer. "Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me." Jesus could ...
... our lives. It makes the story of God's love and Jesus' sacrifice dear and precious to us, as Broberg rightly states it: But when I think that God, his Son not sparing, Sent him to die, I scarce can take it in, That on the cross my burden gladly bearing He bled and died to take away my sin. 3. That still small voice will become a mighty shout when Jesus returns. It will be heard all over the earth, so we dare to sing: When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation, And take me home, what joy shall ...
... preaching of the Word. That was Jonah's mission and the business of the church in the world. 2. A completed mission. Jonah managed to preach to the whole city. They listened, heard, and repented in sackcloth and ashes. Preaching of the law and gospel does bear fruit. You can depend on it. 3. The happy ending. Nineveh was forgiven and delivered from destruction. So it is with Christians and the church of Jesus Christ. 4. Heaven is ours. Repent and rejoice daily. Exodus 32:1-14 (E) - "An Antidote for Apostasy ...
... . "This is the feast of victory for our God, for the Lamb who was slain has begun his reign. Alleluia!" It would be well if every congregation could sing this hymn of praise on this Sunday. The Prayer of the Day (LBW) The prayer does bear some resemblance to a number of the collects for the Trinity/Pentecost Cycle/Season in the older worship books, but it does little to highlight the eschatological motif and movement of this latter section of Pentecost. It praises God, the source of every blessing, because ...
Exodus 22:16-31, Leviticus 19:1-37, Ruth 2:1-23, 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10, 1 Thessalonians 2:1-16, Matthew 22:34-40, Matthew 22:41-46, Psalm 1:1-6
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... impending involvement with Boaz, who ultimately married her: "Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine within your house, your children like olive shoots round about your table." The problem is that Ruth doesn't actually marry Boaz until chapter four of the story, and she doesn't bear a son, Obed, who was the grandfather of David, until the very end of the tale. But the psalm is a rather good description of Boaz, a good and righteous man who only wanted to do what was right for Ruth and her mother-in-law. He ...
... without being chosen. Samuel asked Jesse if he had any more sons. Jesse, the tenth century B.C. version of a Ben Cartwright, owner of a Ponderosa of plenty, told Samuel of his youngest son. A brawny lad named David. A shepherd who fought lions and bears to protect Jesse’s extensive flocks. Little did David know he would soon kill enemies to protect Israel’s national sheepfold. Soon the star of David would rise above the horizon of hope and beam down on an enlightened land of peace and prosperity. David ...
... long years of imprisonment. Because Martin Niemoller had the audacity to stand up in the most prestigious Lutheran pulpit in Berlin and shout to the rafters, "Not you, Adolf Hitler, but Jesus Christ is my Fuhrer," this Iron Cross hero of World War I had to bear a cross of suffering in Dachau. Emily Dickinson, the gentle New England recluse, advised us to tell the truth with a slant. Sometimes the bare-boned truth can hurt others and needs sugar-coating to make it easier to swallow. But an outright lie is a ...
... once. My door is closed to them." Need had knocked at the door of hospitality, only to discover that anger had turned it away. When David heard about the insult to his men he was so angry he wanted to kill the old fool. Anger seems to breed anger. insults bear an affinity to the Hydra in Greek mythology, who grew heads as soon as you tried to lop one off. Anger is a hydra-headed demon forever lurking in our soul’s closet. Because of his anger, Nabal hurt himself. He took to drink to drown his anger. His ...
... he went the way of all flesh. He longed to be assured that the worship of God and rule by one of his sons would continue. He called for Nathan the prophet. We know little about Nathan, but we do know that he was honest and stern, and his character bears a close similarity to that prophetic giant Samuel. Nathan told David that while he would not be permitted to build God a temple, it would be built by his son. He also told him that David’s descendants would always reign in the kingdom. We are not sure when ...
... who would like to harm someone else in an effort to get even with them. A revengeful person seeks to transform somebody else into a nobody. He or she seeks to exact an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. Revengeful people and nations bear an unseemly affinity with Peter Pan. Like Sir James Barrie’s eternal adolescent, revengeful people never grow up. They refuse to forgive and forget. They refuse to turn the other cheek and go the extra mile. Absalom was a victim of the Peter Pan syndrome. He refused ...
... !"4 There is still a balm in Gilead. It is dispensed by the Good Physician, the Son of David, and the Good Samaritan of us all. Today, our option is to be with freshmen in the school of Christ, or to reside with senior citizen disciples bearing battle scars aplenty, who reach out hands to others and at the same time touch the nail-scarred hands of him we call Savior, even Jesus the Christ. 1. Michael Zahary, Plants of the Bible, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, England, 1982, p. 198. 2. Antonio Fraser ...
... re what? Pregnant? What a disgrace! You’re nothing but a harlot! You’ve ruined my reputation and your own!" But the angel comes with these words: "Joseph, do not fear to take Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit; she will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins!" So the gift God gave the world at Christmas was the greatest gift he could possibly give. His own Son, his own little boy, the Child who comes to give us the ...
... the brilliant star Was shining down from heaven. And in the stillness of that moment God’s wondrous gift was given. Shepherds came from near and far Their hearts were filled with love And watching o’er the little child Were angels from above. The three Wise Men bearing gifts At last on him did gaze. And as they looked in wonderment Their lips were uttering praise. So take a moment to recall How this season did begin, And make your heart a quiet stable Where the Lord may enter in. May the peace, joy, the ...
... , said, "Who is this Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?" And despite the scorn of his brothers, David determined to fight Goliath. He said, "The Lord who, on the hills of Bethlehem, delivered me out of the paw of the lion and the bear will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine." Refusing Saul’s armor, David chose five smooth stones from the brook and put them in his shepherd’s bag. He carried his sling in his hand. And when Goliath saw David, he sneered and called him a ...
... are the words of the song I remember: "Dare to be a Daniel, Dare to stand alone, Dare to have a purpose firm, Dare to make it known." For the next seven weeks we will focus on a remarkable Old Testament character named Daniel and the book that bears his name. Daniel was a Hebrew teenager, apparently of noble birth, who was taken into exile when his country of Judah was conquered by the Babylonians in 605 BC. Daniel spent his entire life in Babylonia, a country located approximately where Iraq is today. I am ...
... wants to know more, but Joseph can’t answer her questions. The Romans are not in the habit of explaining themselves to simple carpenters from Nazareth. They just give the orders and expect them to be obeyed. Mary cannot be happy about the news. She has had to bear one burden after another for months on end, ever since God chose her to carry a child conceived by His Holy Spirit. And now this decree comes down from Caesar. She and Joseph must get ready to travel, just when she is ready to deliver her first ...
Theme: A Christ for all nations Exegetical note Matthew here artfully pieces together elements drawn from specific Old Testament texts (foreigners drawn to a divine light and bringing gold and frankincense from Isaiah 60:1-6; foreigners bearing gifts and paying tribute to a new king from Psalm 72; Bethlehem from Micah 5:2), in order to express the common belief that the salvation under the Messiah would apply to all nations. Later popular imagination went back to those source texts in order to turn the ...