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 […]
Kind of a cute little story, that I recently came across…talks about a young boy who had been at home all day with his mother. He was a handful, to say the least. He was into this, he was into that, a mess here, a mess there…and seemingly he would not listen. He had been […]
Luke’s gospel is different. It is different on purpose. Everyone knows that Mark’s gospel was the first to be written. Matthew borrowed heavily from Mark and much of Matthew’s gospel is word-for-word, Mark! Matthew actually utilizes 90% of Mark’s content! Not so with Luke. (Kind of…) Luke did not necessarily approve of the two previously […]
The actual word that is used is “magi,” we can thank the “King James translators” for choosing the word “king” (as in, “We Three Kings”) and the choice of the term “wise men” has only been a recent addition. “Magi” is a “very specific word” that denotes “followers of Zoroastrianism.” The earliest mention of it […]
It started out with “wise men.” No, ladies that is not an oxymoron! Nor was it a slip of the tongue. Wise men really do exist! But perhaps in this case, it could be argued otherwise. “How many?” No one knows for sure? Where did they come from? Again, no one knows? Were they “Kings” […]
Parental shaming is a “real thing.” This passage is “unique” in the Gospels. This is the “only” account we have in the “Canonical Gospels” of Jesus’ childhood. That alone makes it – a “very important passage.” It is a mundane, utterly earthly and a very simple story. Lost child… Panicked parents… A frantic search… The […]
I recently read a cute story about a young man who on his graduation from high school was chosen to give “the commencement address.” He began by reading from his “prepared text.” ‘I want to talk with you about “my mother” – and the “wonderful influence” she has had on my life,’ he told the […]
This is the liturgical year at its best…or at its worst. It is real, however. Hours after our celebration of Christmas, we have the death of a saint, the death of a Christian Martyr. The first said to die for the “new faith.” The date of his martyrdom is celebrated every year on the 26th […]
Christmas morning is always a good day for pondering and reflecting. But first a cute story: The 6-year-old kids in their Sunday School class were re-enacting the story of the birth of Jesus. The teacher wanted them “to stage it themselves” based on their own made-up narrative, so it was certainly going to be interesting, […]
Amazement was everywhere…not only on the earth below, but in the heavens above, as well. You know, there was not only “earthly responses” to the Good News of Christmas…there was also a “heavenly response.” We know about the shepherds and the Magi or the three kings as they are sometimes called…along with their gifts of […]