A hundred years ago, the captain of a large passenger liner led those on board in a morning devotion. Part of the devotion included singing the familiar hymn, “O God, Our Help in Ages Past.” We sang that hymn earlier, which includes the words: “Time, like an ever-rolling stream, soon bears us all away; we […]
Broken, Lesson 1: Whatup
December 31, 2012 by
These are a series of lessons adapted from Jonathan Fisk’s book, Broken. All are encouraged buy Broken to get the full content in the book. Christian Punks are Posers Punk Rock John was a good kid. He played in a punk rock band and worshiped with punk rock style. He was a good kid. He […]
Luke 2:33-40: And a sword will pierce your own soul, too
December 30, 2012 by
Old Simeon takes the baby Jesus into his arms and praises God. And when he praises God, Simeon does something strange–he prays for his own death. He cries out, “Lord, now let Your servant die in peace.” That’s how old Simeon praises God. Then Simeon gives Mary, the mother of Jesus, a strange blessing. He […]
From Adam to Jesus, Lesson 8: From the Apocrypha to Jesus as the Fulfillment
December 30, 2012 by
Before we look directly into the New Testament, we take a short look into the section of Old Testament books the early Church fathers called “books worthy of being read in the Church” or “the readables.” But the question that normally arises is the value of these books. Luther did not consider them as Scripture […]
Hebrews 1:1-6: Christmas Day Sermon
December 25, 2012 by
The prophet Micah tells us the place will be Bethlehem. That’s where the descendant of David will be born. From there, He will come forth, the One who will forever rule over God’s kingdom. We know that Bethlehem is called the town (or city) of David. What we may not know is that the name […]
Luke 2:19: Learning to Ponder
December 24, 2012 by
At first listen, it sounds as if the Blessed Virgin Mary, the mother of our Lord, has it all wrong. St. Luke tells us, “But Mary continued to treasure all these things in her heart and to ponder them” (2:19). Isn’t Christmas a time for celebration, not pondering and meditation? Ah, the contrast is striking. […]
John 1:19-28: Repent!
December 23, 2012 by
So, there was John the Baptizer living up to his name and baptizing! And the Jewish leadership of his day was chafing in discomfort because of it. So, they confronted him: “Why are you baptizing?” We can also ask, “Yes, John, why are you baptizing?” For 2,000 years later, we’re clueless about those baptisms taking […]
Christmas (Christ’s Mass) Day Service
December 20, 2012 by
On December 25th, we will have a Divine Service of Word and Sacrament to celebrate the birth of our Lord. Jesus, the Word Himself became flesh. God and man have come together in one Person. The Infinite has become the finite. The Transcendent has become Imminent. The Creator is one with the creature. The Eternal breaks […]
Genesis 28:10-22: Jacob’s God and You
December 19, 2012 by
A family is in turmoil. The mom and dad are fighting about the children. The younger brother has lied to and stolen from his older brother. Now, the older brother is so mad with rage that he’s plotting to kill his younger brother. And this same older brother is also angry at his dad. And […]
Christmas Eve Candlelight Service with Carols
December 19, 2012 by
Our Christmas Eve service is on December 24th at 7:00 PM. In the service, we will hear the account of Christ’s birth according to St. Luke and sing many corresponding Christmas carols and hymns. The service will finish with the lighting of candles, exiting in the peace and joy of Christmas.
