Today is the feast day of St. Mary, the Mother of our Lord Jesus, the God-bearer who was chosen by the Father to carry God in her womb for 9 months and be the Mother of God. One of the best known passages concerning St. Mary is the annunciation, the time in which St. Gabriel the Archangel came...
President Harrison, in his Little Book on Joy, says, "The Gospel of free forgiveness in Christ frees us to expect mistakes, forgive them, and to find the humor in them after the fact" (Little Book on Joy 69). We live as if everyone is always going to love us, improve their behavior, and...
The 8th Commandment declares, "You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. What does this mean? We should fear and love God so that we do not tell lies about our neighbor, betray him, slander him, or hurt his reputation, but defend him, speak well of him, and explain everything in...
Dr. Martin Luther, of blessed and holy memory, writes in Against the Heavenly Prophets saying, "I will here briefly recount these articles of the Christian Faith to which everyone is above all things to pay attention and hold fast. The first is the law of God, which is to be preached so...
In the Divine Service, right after corporate confession and before the Absolution is declared, the pastor says, "I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you. And in the stead and by the command of my Lord, Jesus Christ, I...
The Ten Commandments command us to live a righteous life, a life in faith toward God and fervent love toward our neighbor. This command never goes away. It doesn't stop once we are baptized, nor does it's demand depart from us whenever we go to church. God demands perfect righteousness. The...
Psalm 56 prays, "When I am afraid, I put my trust in You. In God, Whose Word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?" (Psalm 56:3-4). This is a nice sounding prayer, a prayer in which we as baptized children of God seek refuge in God in every time of fear...
The 7th Commandment says, "You shall not steal." What does this mean? We should fear and love God so that we do not take our neighbor's money or possessions, or get them in any dishonest way, but help him to improve and protect his possessions and income." In the Large Catechism, Luther has...
President Harrison closes one of the chapters in his book on joy with a Walther quote which says, "Remember when you become ministers, you become helpers of the Christian's joy." (Little Book on Joy 123). Your pastor is called by Jesus and placed into the Office of the Holy Minister to...
The Gospel according to St. John says, "In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it" (John 1:4-5). When we look at man outside of Christ, he is not pure and righteous, but sinful and dark...