We heard many words in our Christmas Gospel, telling us of Jesus. He is the Word. He is God and Creator, even Life and the Light of all people, shining in the darkness. He is the one-and-only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth. Such beautiful and truth-filled words for our Savior, which […]
Why December 25th is the Day for Christmas
December 17, 2013 by
This is our pastor’s article for the Stone County Gazette. It should be published on December 26th. Why is December 25th the day we celebrate Jesus’ birth? If we are going to let the earliest history in the Christian Church be our guide, then the early Church chose December 25th to help teach that […]
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 […]
Christ’s Mass (Christmas) Day Sermon: Luke 2:20
December 25, 2011 by
“Oh, where shall joy be found? Where but on heavenly ground? Where the angels singing with all the saints unite, sweetest praises bringing in heavenly joy and light. Oh, that we were there! Oh, that we were there!” (LSB 386:4) Oh, that we were there! That about sums it up this Christmas morning. If we […]
Christmas Eve: Isaiah 7:14, “The Virgin will Conceive”
December 24, 2011 by
Christmas Eve–it’s finally here. After all the preparation, the hurry, and the scurry, whether you’ve finished buying presents or not, Christmas is here, for real, tonight. And soon it will be time for presents! But what if we didn’t get any presents this year? Would it still be Christmas? Of course, for, after all, our […]
The Nativity of our Lord
December 25, 2010 by
Intro Today, we celebrate the birth of life. For that is who Christ Jesus is. He’s not simply the holiest among those who think themselves as holy. He’s not simply a man of historical renown. Such understatements fail to recognize Christ Jesus as Life. They don’t recognize Him as Life eternal. Jesus is the […]
Christmas Eve
December 24, 2010 by
Intro This evening, we leave the world behind, and we travel together on a long journey. It is a journey that leads beyond Santa Claus, Christmas trees, and gift giving. This journey leads us to the quiet, sleepy town of Bethlehem. We stand with the shepherds, huddled around the manger. We stand, straining our […]
The Story of the Real Santa Claus
December 2, 2010 by
The Real Santa Claus by Pr. Rich Futrell The Feast of St. Nicholas is December 6th. When we remember such a saint of old, we are simply being Christians. Hebrews 13:7 tells us: “Remember your leaders who have spoken God’s Word to you.” These leaders aren’t just our current pastors, but the faithful pastors of all […]
