“Leave your gift at the altar and go. First, reconcile with your brother. After, come and offer your gift” (Matthew 5:24). The Lord’s words resonated through the crowd during a sermon on the Mount in Galilee. Those salt-of-the-earth folks often journeyed to Jerusalem to bring offerings to the Temple. So, they understood what Jesus meant. […]
Matthew 5:20-26: Be Reconciled
July 24, 2017 by
In Nashville, Illinois, I served as a vicar before moving here to be your pastor. A few years before, someone collapsed during the Divine Service. With the ambulance called, the service stopped for about 20 minutes, and the paramedics soon arrived. A seriousness descended, a sense of “this is for real.” An impromptu prayer rose […]
2 Corinthians, Lesson 9: God Opens the Heart
October 25, 2015 by
Paul and Timothy just appealed to the Corinthian congregation, quoting Isaiah 49:8. They then say, “Now is a [not “the”] favorable time, now is a [not “the”] day of salvation.” Every time God’s grace comes to someone, that day, that time, is one of salvation. This shows the continuing nature of God coming to us […]
