Remember you are dust, and to dust you shall return. This is for you to remember, to never forget, that you are mortal, that you will perish.You, yes, you Son of Adam and Daughter of Eve are sinful and unclean, and because of your sin you will die. All things temporal you love more than God will...
"For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. 14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. 15 My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being...
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...