When was the last time you said, “There’s nothing on TV tonight”? At our house we have Dish Satellite TV (300+ channels), Netflix (5,000 movies), Amazon Prime (20,000 movies, tens of thousands more to rent, and 3,000 television series), and the internet (and its endless opportunities to go down one rabbit hole after […]
3392) Something to Watch Read More »
(…continued) The story then goes on to say God established in our midst a ‘Kingdom’, the Church, and gave to the Church the Holy Spirit. And He gave to the Church the Word and Sacraments. Again, in some strange and unaccountable way, the Holy Spirit working through these means, would recruit from out
3346) God’s Big Story (2/2) Read More »
Alvin Rogness (1906-1992) was a Lutheran pastor, author, and seminary president. In his sermons and books he would often retell the ‘big’ story of the Bible, summarizing the whole story of God and His world in a single narrative. The following reading is a blend of several of those narratives. —————————– Colossians 1:21-23a — Once
3345) God’s Big Story (1/2) Read More »
Caiaphas, James Tissot (1836-1902) ——————— John 11:47-50 — The chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin. “What are we accomplishing?” they asked. “Here is this man performing many signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away
3309) Understanding Caiaphas Read More »
(…continued) Jesus is enduring these forty days of suffering in the desert because God the Father Himself is putting him through it. Why would God do that? Part of the answer can be found in Hebrews 5:8: “Although he (Jesus) was a son, he learned obedience by what he suffered, and once
3308) The Temptation of Christ (2/2) Read More »
Above painting: The Temptation of Christ, Titian (1490-1576) In this brilliant depiction of the temptation story, Titian paints the devil as an innocent child, appealing to Jesus to turn the stone he is holding into bread. He is illustrating the fact that temptations can appear to be very innocent, as it says in II Corinthians
3307) The Temptation of Christ (1/2) Read More »
Above: Abraham Lincoln in 1860, before the Civil War; and in 1865, near the end of the war (age 56). —————————————— This week we celebrate the 250th anniversary of our independence as a nation, and although we have much to worry about these days, we do also have much to celebrate. Our Constitution, democracy,
3293) The Greatest American Speech Read More »
What made Abraham Lincoln the extraordinary man that he was? I believe there is an easy answer. He read the Bible. He not only read the Bible, he immersed himself in it, reading it over and over again, until his whole mentality, perspective on life, and language mirrored that of the Bible. His
3292) The Source of Abraham Lincoln’s Greatness Read More »
(…continued) Four years later, Cleo’s husband John died. John was a believer, but wasn’t one to talk much about his faith. He wasn’t like Cleo. He didn’t have anything picked out for his funeral, and we did not have long discussions about God’s love and promises. He and Cleo went to church together,
3272) Cleo and John (2/2) Read More »
Cleo was dying of cancer. She was still strong enough to come to church and go to appointments, but the doctors had told her there was nothing more they could do. The cancer would soon end her life. She was 66 years old and her husband had just retired. They had lots of
3271) Cleo and John (1/2) Read More »
