“It came upon a midnight clear, that glorious song of old, from angels bending near the earth to touch their harps of gold: ‘Peace on the earth, goodwill to all, from heaven’s all-gracious King!’ The world in solemn stillness lay to hear the angels sing” (LSB 366). Angels sang that night when Christ was born. […]
Wisdom 18:14-15, Luke 2:1-20: The Word of God Descended from Heaven’s Royal Throne
December 24, 2014 by
Christmas Eve and Day Services
December 23, 2014 by
Our Christmas Eve Service of Candlelight and Carols is at 7:00 PM, December 24th. In the service, we will hear the how Jesus came to be our Messiah and Savior from the gospel texts of Sts. Matthew and Luke. Interspersed within the readings will be stanzas from our favorite Christmas hymns and carols. On Christmas Day, […]
Viola Steward’s Funeral Sermon
December 21, 2014 by
Isaiah 26:14, 1 Corinthians 15:51-17, and John 14:3 Today, while we mourn the loss of Viola, that’s not the only reason we are here. Although we want to celebrate the life of Viola, that’s not the only reason we are here. We are feeling many emotions, but even they aren’t the only reasons we […]
John 1:19-28: Not the Messiah We are Expecting
December 21, 2014 by
Many folks like to talk about themselves, whether they will admit it or not. Such talk can even be a sign of our fallen nature having its way in our lives. Such talk reveals that life is about me–not others, not God, or not even about God for me. But John the Baptizer acted differently. […]
1 Corinthians: Lesson 2: 1:10-31: God’s Contrarian Ways
December 20, 2014 by
Last week, we learned how Paul and Sosthenes (Silas) organized 1 Corinthians, using many elements of Greek rhetoric in that letter. They also wrote an extended greeting, in which they dropped hints to the content within the letter that would follow. Further, although 1 Corinthians has two authors, it also has extended parts where Sosthenes […]
Micah 5:2-5a, Revelation 12:1-5a: The Bread of Life gives you His life in His Church, His House of Bread
December 18, 2014 by
Great is the mystery, worthy of all telling. The Word became Flesh and tabernacled among us. Who would have known it? Who would have done it that way? A virgin mother will give birth to a Son; the Creator will join His creatures. The Infinite will contain Himself within the finite. God will become Man–and […]
Funeral for Viola Steward
December 17, 2014 by
Viola Steward (nee Clark) died peacefully in her home on Tuesday, December 16, 2014. Her funeral will be held on Sunday, December 21, 2014 at Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church at 3:00 PM. Friends and members are invited, not only to remember Viola, but also to confess the faith she confessed and lived her […]
Internment and Committal of Don Zimmerman
December 17, 2014 by
Former member of Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church, Donald John Zimmerman, died in his sleep on December 12, 2014. His interment and committal of the body will be at Pine Crest Cemetery in Lampe, Missouri on Thursday, Debember 18, 2014, at 1:00 PM. Members are invited to this short, but meaningful, funeral rite of the Church. His […]
1 Corinthians 4:1: Stewards of the Mysteries of God
December 14, 2014 by
When Jesus started His New-Covenant Church, fulfilling what came before, He didn’t hand out copies of the Bible and tell people to read it. Neither did He command His Apostles to do the same. He commanded them to do other things. And how God is at work through those things can be mysterious to our […]
1 Corinthians, Lesson 1: Introduction
December 14, 2014 by
Author and Date 1 Corinthians identifies its writers as the Apostle Paul and Pastor Sosthenes, whose Hebrew name was Silas (1:1). Sosthenes would later become the Bishop of Caesarea. Sothenes assisted Paul and also served as his scribe. At the end of the letter, however, Paul wrote his “goodbye” in his own handwriting (16:21). […]
