We heard it at the start of today’s liturgy: Dust you are, and to dust you will return. The ashes, which give this day its name, have nothing to do with Lenten fasting. Whether you have ashes on your forehead or not, they tell no one if you have been fasting. But the ashes do […]
Mark 9:2-9: Jesus’ Transfiguration
February 19, 2012 by
The time for Jesus’ earthly miracles was fading fast. And soon, His popularity would begin to wane, as well. For now, we find ourselves at the midpoint of Mark’s Gospel, where Jesus turns His face toward the task of dying and rising. Jesus begins to teach His disciples that He will have to suffer. He […]
The Didache, Lesson 8: Tradition and Confession
February 18, 2012 by
Following Tradition 4:12 Hate hypocrisy and everything that is not pleasing to the Lord. The Didache’s warning, in its context, is that we should guard against every sin and not be inconsistent (hypocritical). Specifically, this ties in with protecting and not losing what our Lord has commanded, which the next verse states explicitly. Deuteronomy 4:2: […]
LC-MS President Harrison Testifies Before Congress
February 17, 2012 by
By Adriane Dorr LCMS President Rev. Dr. Matthew C. Harrison spoke in defense of religion and conscience before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee in a Capitol Hill hearing in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, Feb. 16. Expressing concern over the Jan. 20 U.S. Health and Human Services ruling regarding health-insurance plans and the recently […]
LC-MS Responds to Governmental Mandate for Religious Organizations
February 14, 2012 by
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, In response to President Obama’s announcement Friday concerning an “accommodation” to a previous mandate that health plans must cover all forms of birth control (even those that can kill the unborn), The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) remains deeply concerned. We strongly object to the use of drugs and procedures […]
The Didache, Lesson 7: The Poor, Children, and Slaves
February 13, 2012 by
Life with the poor (Continued) 4:7 Do not hesitate when you give, and do not grumble when giving, for you will know who is the good Paymaster of the reward. Matthew 5:12: “Jesus said, ‘Be full of joy and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven.’” Luke 14:14: “[Jesus said,] ‘And you will […]
Mark 1:40-45: Jesus Heals a Leper
February 12, 2012 by
Medically, leprosy was, and still is, a ghastly disease. It’s a systemic, bacterial infection that infects someone’s nerves and upper-respiratory tract. It permanently damages the skin, nerves, limbs, and eyes. Until 1941, there was no cure. Even today, in some areas, leprosy is still a significant, public-health problem. Socially, leprosy isolated someone from the community. […]
The Didache, Lesson 6: The Pastor, the Parish, and the Poor
February 8, 2012 by
The Didache, chapter 4, instructs us in living together as the Body of Christ, the Church, at a given place. If the Didache were written today, some of the categories of this chapter would be different. Nonetheless, the principles of this chapter remain the same. This chapter is separated into different areas. 4:1: Life with […]
Mark 1:29-39: Why Jesus Came
February 5, 2012 by
Imagine if we had a Jesus in Kimberling City. Imagine that! What if we had a Jesus who would open His door each day, so people could see Him for healing? People could bring others who were sick for Jesus to heal them of their illnesses. If that were so, we wouldn’t need Skaggs at […]
The Didache, Lesson 5: The “Yes” of the Faith
February 1, 2012 by
For the “yes” of the faith, the Didache teaches us to see the good in the crosses we are given to bear. We are to see that even the distasteful aspects of our life have some godly purpose. Even when we cannot understand why, we are called to see such “crosses” through the eyes of […]
