Our Lenten journey continues this Sunday, as we make our way with Jesus toward the decisive events of Holy Week. This Sunday John the Evangelist permits us to eavesdrop on a midnight conversation between a Pharisee named Nicodemus and Jesus.
We are journeying with Jesus and His disciples on the way to the decisive events of Holy Week and Easter. Our first stop on this journey is a place we might call temptation. The focus of our worship is Matthew 4:1-11, the temptation account.
Momentum is vital. What does God do to you when you encounter His presence in Word and Sacrament?
Many people think that having young families with school age children in the church service is THE indicator of a particular vitality in the life of their church. Well, it is one sign of vitality. But it’s not the only one. Having a lively crew of seniors can be equally joyful and a sign of church vitality too.
Dear friends in Christ, Maybe you have heard the anecdote about the old “died in the wool” Lutheran who was being visited by his pastor on his death bed. The pastor asked him if he had any concerns as his death was approaching for which they could pray. “No, pastor,” he said, “I have never done a good work in my life!” Lutheran Christians are fond of saying that we…Keep Reading
These words may be familiar to many people, but I think that they can be easily misunderstood or worse taken for granted. They are commonly called The Beatitudes, the “beautiful sayings.” Each of the first verses of His sermon begins with the word “blessed.”
If you have been paying attention to the Gospel readings from Matthew lately you have frequently heard these words commenting on something that happened to Jesus, or because of Jesus; “…SO THAT WHAT WAS SPOKEN BY THE PROPHET…MIGHT BE FULFILLED.”
The question of why Jesus insists on being baptized when He is the sinless Son of God can be troublesome. After all, John’s baptism is a baptism of repentance. Did Jesus need to repent of some sin?
There will be no worship service at Shepherd Sunday morning, January 8 due to weather conditions.
This Sunday, January 8, we will be celebrating Epiphany Sunday our 9:00 AM worship service. The Epiphany Gospel recalls the journey of the Magi who came bearing gifts for a new born king. Their visit to King Herod sparked a chain of events rarely focused on as part of the Christmas Season.