When recently meeting with the Altar Guild, one of our ladies had a devotion that included Proverbs 31. That’s the only chapter in the Bible written by a woman, the mother of King Lemuel. Beginning with Solomon, the Old Testament kings’ mothers held an official office: The Queen Mother. Yet, none of our women in […]
James, Lesson 1: Introduction and Theme
April 30, 2012 by
James: Lesson 1 Introduction and Theme Among the books of the New Testament, James has suffered much because it was one of the disputed books of the New Testament. It also suffered because of its content (for example, does it teach that works save us?). When Martin Luther was translating the Bible into German, he […]
Jesus, Still Flesh of Our Flesh and Bone of Our Bone: Luke 24:39-49
April 22, 2012 by
How do you know that something is true? That’s a crucial question these days, especially when truth looks as if it is becoming an endangered species. Sometimes, we think that science is the way to get to the truth. That’s why we often find the phrase, “Studies have shown” to be persuasive. Although you may […]
Didache, Lesson 15: Apostles and Prophets, Pt. 2
April 21, 2012 by
Prophets In the last lesson, we saw the Didache link the Apostles to Jesus (11:4.) But today, we will see the Didache link prophets to the Holy Spirit. Although, at first, this seems a hair-splitting distinction, it simply shows the worldview of those who put together the Didache. It shows that the Apostles were directly […]
Bible Study on James to Begin
April 19, 2012 by
On Thursday, May 3rd, at 2:00 PM, our Pastor will begin the season’s midweek class, starting with the book of James. Lutherans often find James to be a puzzling book. James writes, “You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone” (James 2:24). Instead of ignoring that passage from the […]
Remaining Firm in the Faith, Even When Your Feelings are Hurt
April 19, 2012 by
What would you think of a medical doctor who watched someone suffer a heart attack, but did nothing to help? What would you think of a police officer who walked past someone committing a crime but didn’t even care enough to raise an eyebrow or report the crime? You would probably despise such doctors and […]
The Office of the Holy Ministry: John 20:19-31
April 15, 2012 by
When Jesus speaks His divine peace to His disciples, He shows them His wounds He received on the cross. For Jesus, the crucified One, is now risen from the dead. He is the Messiah–and His wounds prove it. But Thomas denied what he hadn’t experienced. Instead, Thomas demanded a religious experience of his own choosing […]
Easter: John 20:11-16
April 8, 2012 by
It doesn’t matter how many times you face it, it never feels natural. It never feels right. Death always feels wrong. Something inside us doesn’t accept that we will never again hear that voice, see that face, touch that hand, or experience that laughter. The grief counselors can talk until they are blue in the […]
Good (God’s) Friday: Isaiah 53:1-6
April 6, 2012 by
We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You. For, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world. Amen. Crucifixes make us uncomfortable–and well they should. We squirm before them. And this is even apart from any lingering, anti-Roman Catholic bias we still may have. It is simply painful to look at our Lord […]
