I don't know about y'all, but sometimes I have anger issues. I don't mean the typical melt downs and daily fits thrown because life isn't going my way, but rather those deep seated anger issues. I hold grudges, study the past of my oppressors, and mark it on my calendar to never forget certain...
St. Paul says in Romans, "But sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment produced in me all kinds of covetousness. For apart from the law, sin lies dead." (Romans 7:8). Is St. Paul saying that God, through the proclamation of His Law, causes us to sin? Does the Law cause us to...
Luther spoke of prayer saying, "It is a good thing to let prayer be the first business of the morning and the last at night. Guard yourself carefully against those false, deluding ideas which tell you, 'Wait a little while. I will pray in an hour; first, I must attend to this or that.' Such...
Today we get back into our Catechism Sermon schedule at Zion Lutheran Church. Tonight we will meditate on the 1st commandment which says, "You shall have no other gods. What does this mean? We should fear, love, and trust in God above all things." Why would God make such a demand? To...
"Worship is the most beautiful flower of earthly life," so said Wilhelm Loehe. Today is the day we celebrate the life and Christian death of St. Wilhelm Loehe, a German Lutheran pastor. He was born in 1808 and never left Germany during his ministry. He trained many men and sent them to America...
Tomorrow, we will celebrate the Naming or the Circumcision of our Lord Jesus. This day is celebrated on January 1st, 8 days after Jesus' birth, but we are moving it to Sunday in order that everyone can receive the gift of these texts. The Old Testament reading is Numbers 6:22-27 which...
The Treasury of Daily Prayer devotional writing today says, "God assumed a human nature to effect man's participation in the Divine nature; God became a Child that we might become children of God. The birthday of Christ inaugurates our divine birth." Jesus became man, a temporal being, in order...
December 26th was the feast of St. Stephen, and yesterday was the feast of St. John. Both of these feast days seem fair to us. Stephen died proclaiming the Gospel. Stephen was a grown man that wasn't killed against his will, but rather kept preaching in the face of death. St. John, on the other...
Today is the feast day of St. John the Evangelist and Apostle. St. John was one of the first disciples of Jesus, one of the sons of Zebedee. He was the only Apostle to stay with Jesus at the cross, and was gifted by Jesus to take care of St. Mary after Jesus' death. After the Ascension...
Yesterday Christ was born in the world, so that today Stephen would be born in heaven. This is an ancient confession of the Incarnation and what it means for the eternal life of the saints. Today is the feast day of St. Stephen, the first martyr of the Church after Jesus Ascension into Heaven...