This is our pastor’s article for the June, 2019 edition of our newsletter. In this, he delves into some (some!) of the New Testament’s use of the little-known book of 1 Enoch. Some speak of “known knowns,” things of which we are aware and also understand. For others, they talk of “known unknowns,” what we […]
Revelation 22: I Am the Alpha and Omega
May 9, 2019 by
I From Adam and Eve to you and me, we can chant the psalm. “Behold, how pleasant and sweet for brothers to dwell together…. The Lord decreed this blessing of life for eternity” (Psalm 133:1, 4). Yes, God desires such unity, but we, instead, clutch and grab in our discord and disunity! So soon did […]
Lutheran Heritage Foundation is visiting on May 12
May 9, 2019 by
On May 12, Pr. Rod Benkendorf (former pastor at Frohna, MO) will be our guest preacher. No longer serving in the area where the Missouri Synod first formed, he is now using his talents to help spread the grace of God farther afield. In this grace-giving task, the Lutheran Church excels better than any other, […]
Matthew 28:18-20: I Am with You Always
May 2, 2019 by
On the first Easter morning, grieving women find Jesus’ tomb is empty. Soon, Peter and John sprint to His burial site to find out if this is true. Several hours pass and Jesus appears to His disciples, authorizing them to absolve and retain sins. Later, He will assemble the Eleven, giving them a new mandate—in […]
Easter: John 11:25: I Am the Resurrection and the Life
May 2, 2019 by
Never more to die, Jesus now lives! Now, the sunrise of Easter shines upon us, sending away the somber mood of Lent. All is now different because Jesus struck down the walls of death’s fortress. The cross now beams with a brilliant light. All sadness mutes as the music of our consolation and well-being trumpet […]
Palm Sunday: Psalm 119:19-29: “Open to Me the gates of righteousness”
May 2, 2019 by
Long before the beginnings of print, before television infiltrated our lives, people gathered in their communities and told stories. These entertained and educated, and passed down a culture’s history and tradition. The power of the story shaped the way people thought and helped mold and maintain a cohesive community. Picture the Israelites. Though scholars wrote […]
Good Friday: John 12:32-33: When the I Am is Lifted Up
May 2, 2019 by
The nails pierce, thorns stab, and blood feeds the ground. The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin, its poison, is the Law. For what God commands from us requires perfection, but promises life to all who do what He demands. For those who can’t, one finds only death since God’s Law […]
Maundy Thursday: John 6:47-56: I Am the Bread of Life
May 2, 2019 by
The first Passover, such a horrific and gruesome sight, unlike any in Egypt, whether before or after. At twilight, an enslaved people slaughter thousands of lambs, eat of their flesh, and brush their blood on the doorposts of their houses. Those lambs died, so the firstborn sons of Israel may live. From this somber Passover, […]
John 14:1-7: I Am the Way, Truth, and Life
May 2, 2019 by
The atmosphere is solemn and sober. A Teacher’s words trouble and grieve His students (John 14:1, 27; 16:6, 20-22). The air thickens with uncertainty and foreboding, as tensions rise. By the day, their opponents turn more vicious; at night, darkening their future with dire prospects. A series of traumatic experiences will soon engulf and suffocate […]
John 10:7-10: I Am the Door
May 2, 2019 by
The Pharisees seethe in anger. On a Sabbath, Jesus heals a man, who suffered the misfortune of being born blind. To them, He is an unstoppable juggernaut, acting like He owns the place, curing illness on the designated day for rest, confronting them on their hypocrisy and failings. The more they oppose this rabbi who […]
