Sometimes we are silenced. Sometimes we do not know “what to say” or “how best – to say it” or even “how to react.” Sometimes words evade us. Sometimes we are just left stupefied. Tongue-tied? That’s how I imagine it all came down. Some-thing’s are just “beyond words.” I hope you caught it. It started […]
A man who had reached his 100th birthday was being interviewed by a television reporter. “What are you most proud of?” the reporter asked. “Well,” the man said, “I don’t have an enemy in the world.” “What a beautiful thought! How inspirational!” said the TV reporter. How truly fortunate and blessed you are. “Yep,” added […]
I did my homework. I researched. You will not believe this…stuff… But you can research it on your own. You know about the “Golden Rule,” right? Did you know there is a Silver Rule? A Bronze rule? An iron rule? A platinum rule? And a titanium rule? Omi-gosh, I thought I was at the Olympics […]
This is the context according to Luke: Jesus ascends a mountain where he spends “a whole night in prayer to God.” At daybreak, he summons his disciples and chooses twelve of them to receive the title of “apostle.” Luke then lists their names. Pay attention to one called Simon—he’s also called Peter, a name that […]
The word to “borrow” popped into my mind. To borrow is to take and use (something that belongs to someone else) with the intention of returning it. To borrow is to appropriate or to commandeer something but always with the intention of returning said item…and hopefully returning it – in a better condition than you […]
The one-lake had “many names.” You could call it “Lake of Gennesaret” or you could call it the “Sea of Galilee” or you might refer to it as being “the Sea of Tiberius.” All worked. All certainly applied. “Tiberius” was pretty much “hated terminology” because it indicated Caesar’s ownership. The lake and “all the fish […]
A social or diplomatic blunder, a noticeable mistake, a familiarity, faux pas, impropriety, a clumsy social error; a blatant mistake or misjudgment…is called a “gaffe.” “Gaffes” happen. They do!!! I am sure you have probably made a gaffe or two in your lifetime – I know that I have made tons of gaffes in my […]
Jesus grew up in Nazareth and he was forever known as being “Jesus of Nazareth”. But what was it about that little village that would have formed his teachings and what can we learn from this region? Jesus was born in Bethlehem, but his family had to flee from Herod the Great to Egypt. When […]
This is the context: At this point in Luke’s Gospel, Jesus is “fresh off” his “baptism in the Jordan River” and his “40 day temptation” in the wilderness. He “returns” from these experiences to Galilee. He “begins” by “stopping at various synagogues,” teaching as he goes from place to place. His teaching is “pretty awesome,” […]
Tonight, we find ourselves still celebrating the Baptism of Our Lord and in so doing – we remember our own baptisms…as we ought… Baptism is one of the most important acts of the church and one of only two sacraments celebrated in the Lutheran Church. “The act of baptism” – an act that Jesus himself […]