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✠ Psalmody: Psalm 97:7b-8a, 1; Psalm 102:15–16; Psalm 148:2; Psalm 118:16-17; Luke 4:22b ✠ Lection: 2 Kings 5:1-15b; Romans 12:16b-21; Matthew 8:1-13 In the Name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Unless you are a member of the polar plunge club, who likes to subject your body to extremely cold water for who knows why, you’re likely not to be dipping yourself in Lake Erie right about now. The waters are not appealing in their rough frigidity and you wisely understand there’s no real sense in going down into them, regardless of how anyone tries to convince you. Now,Read More →

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✠ Psalmody: Psalm 66:4, 1-2; Psalm 107:20–21; Psalm 97:1; Psalm 66:1-2a, 16; John 2:7a, 8b, 9a, 10b, 11a ✠ Lection: Amos 9:11-15; Romans 12:6–16a; John 2:1–11 In the Name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. In the highlands of southwest Tanzania is a town in which we lived a number of years, Mbeya. Even though its population is reported to be 270,000, being in such a large place doesn’t exempt its residents from the country’s widespread poverty, for even the daily need of water requires much work. Our househelp, Mama Ima, told us of her children getting up veryRead More →

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✠ Psalmody: Psalm 72:1;Isaiah 60:6b, 1;Matthew 2:2b;Psalm 72:10–11 ✠ Lection: Isaiah 25:1;26:11a;28:5a;35:1a, 2b, 10a;41:18a, c;52:13b;12:3–5; Ephesians 1:13b–18;St. John 1:29–34 In the Name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. It is more than fitting to celebrate the Baptism of Jesus on the octave of the Epiphany, that is, on the eighth day after observing that feast as we did last Sunday. Such is true because He Who was revealed to the world, Jew and Gentile alike, as both God and Man, is shown on this day how the full counsel and intention of the Holy Trinity, Father, Son, and HolyRead More →

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✠ Psalmody: Malachi 3:1;1 Chronicles 29:12;Psalm 72:1;Isaiah 60:6b, 1;St. Matthew 2:2;Psalm 72:10–11;St. Matthew 2:2 ✠ Lection: Isaiah 60:1-6;Ephesians 3:2b-12;St. Matthew 2:1-12  In the Name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. In the midst of an ever-increasingly tumultuous world, when you come to church, you may be tempted to feel like you’re avoiding what’s going on around you by living in a bubble, by burying your head in the sand of religion, by being here this morning, in a place that is intentionally different than the ways of the world. Yet, you do no wrong to seek Christ’s ‘bubble’ whereRead More →

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✠ Psalmody: Wisdom 18:14–15a;Psalm 93:1a, b;45:2a, 1;93:1a, b;93:1b–2;St. Matthew 2:20 ✠ Lection: Jeremiah 31:31-34;Galatians 4:1–7;St. Luke 2:33-40 In the Name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. As if the holiday season stretching from Thanksgiving through the New Year isn’t active enough with the number of things we pack into our personal lives with parties, family gatherings, shopping, cooking, and napping, the calendar of the Church also allows us a ton of observances itself. There’s the usual addition of a mid-week Advent services. Then, there’s Christmas Eve with the possibility of two services on that same day: The Service ofRead More →

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✠ Psalmody: Ps. 106:4–5;1b;145:18, 21a;Luke 1:28bc, 42c;Isaiah 7:14b ✠ Lection: Deuteronomy 18:15–19;Philippians 4:4–7;John 1:19b–28 In the Name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. We pray for God to always bless us with His voice, for we need to constantly hear from Him. If we don’t hear from Him, our conscience becomes misinformed by what it soaks up from other sources, be it the media, atheistic moralism, or our emotions. A conscience that binds itself to feelings isn’t being rightly informed by the objective truth of God that comes to us through the Holy Scriptures. We are not saved byRead More →

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✠ Psalmody: Isaiah 45:8a;Psalm 19:1;24:7, 3-4a;145:18, 21;Isaiah 35:4b;7:14b ✠ Lection: Isaiah 2:2-5;Isaiah 7:10-15;Luke 1:26-38a In the Name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. There is much that is impossible with God, that is, from our perspective, meaning He is not limited as we are, therefore it is impossible with God that we know Him fully. He is infinite. He is pure. He is holy; all things that we are not. It is impossible for us to see into the utter depths of Who He is and what He has done, is doing, and will do. Thanks be to GodRead More →

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✠ Psalmody: Philippians 4:4-6;Psalm 85:1;80:1b, 2b, 1a;80:2b;85:1-2a;Isaiah 35:4a, b, d ✠ Lection: Isaiah 40:1–8;1 Corinthians 4:1–5;St. Matthew 11:2–10 In the Name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I will say, Rejoice. Rejoice as we move into the latter half of this Advent season of preparing for the coming Christ. Rejoice as the darker color of repentant violet (purple) is lightened a few shades to the rose (pink) that you see today, as your dear Father in heaven reminds you of the great love with which He loves you; to remind you that evenRead More →

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✠ Psalmody: Isaiah 30:30a, 29a, c;Psalm 80:1a;50:2-3a, 5;85:6-7; Baruch 5:5a;4:36b ✠ Lection: Song of Songs 2:8b-14;Romans 15:4-13;St. Luke 21:25-33 In the Name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. The season of Advent can easily and accidentally be absorbed into all the Christmas atmosphere and its preparations that begin earlier and earlier than most of us are used to, stretching now back into September as stores make sure that you have plenty of time to buy, buy, buy. Black Friday and Cyber Monday have also succumbed to consumer-driven elongation by now being week-long, or more, events. But, the season ofRead More →

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Ad Te Levavi – Sunday 1 December A✠D 2024 ✠ Psalmody: Psalm 25:1-3a;25:4;25:3a, 4;85:7;25:1-3a;85:12 ✠ Lection: Jeremiah 23:5–8;Romans 13:11-14;St. Matthew 21:1–9 In the Name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. We enter into another Church Year today. The old has passed. The new has come, which makes it proper to orient our minds and hearts upon He Who enters into our midst as King. We welcome Him. We adore Him. We worship Him as He deems fit to come to us. He arrives not in grand motorcades nor in private jets. He does not flex power as the worldRead More →

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The Last Sunday in the Church Year – Sunday 24 November A✠D 2024 ✠ Psalmody: Jeremiah 29:11-12, 14;Psalm 85:1, 7, 9, 11;45:14–15;Revelation 21:2 ✠ Lection: Isaiah 65:17–25;1 Thessalonians 5:1–11;Matthew 25:1–13 In the Name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. We have now come as far as we can in our observation of the Church’s life in this age on Earth. Timewise, we’ve learned of the significant events that now have us standing at the edge, on the brink of the Last Day, longingly looking into the sky for the glorious return of Christ, the Church’s Savior and Bridegroom, prayingRead More →

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The Third Last Sunday in the Church Year – Sunday 10 November A✠D 2024 ✠ Psalmody: Psalm 31:9a, 15b, 17a; 1–2a, 5, 24;74:4, 2a;46:4 ✠ Lection: Job 14:1–6;1 Thessalonians 4:13-18;Matthew 24:15-28 (Sermon by guest Pastor Rev. George Hansell. Transcribed by turboscribe.ai.) Grace, mercy, joy, and peace be multiplied unto you from God our Father and from our crucified, risen, and ascended Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. The text for our meditation this morning is taken from Saint Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians, the fourth chapter, verses 13 through 18. Please hear these words once again. Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleepRead More →

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Guest Pastor: Rev. Allen Lunneberg (Transcribed by TurboScribe.ai) In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen. With the approach of the closing chapters of the church year, our annual task of proclaiming the entire gospel of salvation today is given a standing ovation by the entire body of Christ. The whole church, throughout the world, of every time and every place, and as we say at the celebration of every Lord’s Supper, with angels and archangels and all the company of heaven. From Advent, through Christmas, Epiphany, through Lent and the great Holy Week, from Easter, throughRead More →

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The Commemoration of the Reformation – Sunday 27 October A✠D 2024 ✠ Psalmody: Psalm 119:46;34:1-2, 11, 22;48:1, 12-13;48:14 ✠ Lection: Revelation 14:6-7;Romans 3:19-28;St. Matthew 11:12-15 (Transcribed by TurboScribe.ai.) In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. In the revelation to Saint John, chapter 14, the apostle saw in his vision an angel flying in the midst of heaven. An angel, a messenger, bearing the message of God in the midst of heaven. The very place, if you look up to see the mid-heaven, the brightest place at which the sun shines at its midday. That is what the message thatRead More →

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The Twenty-First Sunday after Trinity – Sunday 20 October A✠D 2024 ✠ Psalmody: Esther 13:9-11; Psalm 119:1;90:1-2;125:1 ✠ Lection: Isaiah 25:6–9;Ephesians 6:10–17;St. John 4:46b–53 (Transcribed by TurboScribe.ai.) In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. As the nobleman in John chapter 4 wisely goes up to Jesus to plead with him to come down, we too are wise to do the same, to ask the Lord to come down, especially when in the hour of deepest need. That is what prayer is, to ascend with our thoughts and our hearts to heaven, to the very throne of grace, to askRead More →

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(Transcribed by TurboScribe.ai.) In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. In Ephesians chapter 5, similarly to much throughout St. Paul’s epistle to the church in Ephesus, he gives us much contrast in his language that he uses, much contrast between two opposites through admonitions and exhortations, through warnings as well as encouragements to stand to hold. Consider his words through the lens of the gospel that you heard, through the parable of our dear Lord Jesus, for St. Paul is speaking in his letter not to unbelievers but to believers. Therefore he warns and encourages Christians asRead More →

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(Transcribed by TurboScribe.ai.) In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, every present generation, in its present, bears the responsibility, yes, even the privilege, of establishing a godly legacy for those who follow. This means, of course, that life itself takes effort. Effort to cultivate joy it takes. It takes effort to grow stronger. It takes effort to stand firm. It’s only the flesh that wants to sit and to receive all good things without any effort, without putting anything forth to show the value of what is sought to be gained. Life also takes shared effort, meaningRead More →

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(Transcribed by TurboScribe.ai.) In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Who is like God? Many Old Testament names, both of people and places, are actually confessions about who God is or what God has done in a certain place. If you see a name of a place or a person in the Old Testament that ends with the letters E-L, then it’s a confession or a statement or a question about God, about what he has done, about who he is. Names like Peniel, Bethel, Ezekiel, Daniel, or Michael, or as we would say, Michael. Michael isRead More →

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(Transcribed by TurboScribe.ai.) In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. One of the greatest tactics of the enemy in our day is distraction. Distraction by politics, distraction by TV, distraction by handheld screens, distraction by social media, distraction by jobs, distraction by entertainment, distraction by hobbies, distraction by leisure, distraction by on and on and on in a land with so great many things, the list surely is endless. From what have these things distracted us? We’ve become distracted from the table fellowship of Christ our Lord. Table fellowship can be understood in this way when IRead More →

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(Transcribed by TurboScribe.ai.) In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints. This is what Psalm 116 says. So why then, if it’s precious in his sight, does Jesus reverse this? If this is his saint being carried out of Nain, why does he then raise him from the dead? We all have grieved over death coming very near to us, or we still do now. Most certainly, we will. This cannot be denied in this life that death does come near, both to us andRead More →

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(Transcribed by TurboScribe.ai.) In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Let us not be like the Jews in John chapter 8 and assert that we have never been in bondage to everyone. For everybody this most certainly is not true, that we have not nor have we never been in bondage. We are all in bondage, in bondage to something or in bondage to someone. We are all slaves. We all serve a God. Even the atheists who deny that they serve a God, indeed whatever they look to for their happiness, their joy, their contentment, theirRead More →

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The Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity – Sunday 25 August A✠D 2024 ✠ Psalmody: Psalm 74:20a, 21a, 22a, 23a;88:1 ✠ Lection: Leviticus 19:9-18;Galatians 3:16–22;St. Luke 10:23–37   (**Preached from an outline, so no manuscript is available to post. The transcript below was generated by turboscribe.ai**) In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. A certain lawyer asked Jesus, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? What shall you do to inherit eternal life? It’s a good question to ask, although in asking it, as the lawyer did, is slightly askew in thinking, what do I do to inherit eternal life? ButRead More →

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The Twelfth Sunday after Trinity – Sunday 18 August A✠D 2024 ✠ Psalmody: Psalm 70:1-2a;70:2b, 4a, 5b;34:1-2;81:1 ✠ Lection: Isaiah 29:17–24;2 Corinthians 3:4-11;Mark 7:31-37 In the Name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Old Testament saints, those who before the first advent of Christ had faith in Him and His redeeming work as promised of old in the Garden of Eden, were given mighty words from the Lord as is testified to throughout the Hebrew Scriptures. Through the prophets, like Isaiah as we heard this morning, magnificent proclamations and prophecies filled with hope often came to their ears throughRead More →

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The Eighth Sunday after Trinity – Sunday 21 July A✠D 2024 ✠ Psalmody: Psalm 48:9-10; 1, 3, 11, 14;31:2b, 1a;78:1 ✠ Lection: Jeremiah 23:16–29;Romans 8:12–17;Matthew 7:15–23 In the Name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. It’s never heard of for eyesight to naturally improve with age. As we all advance in years, such things deteriorate and most of us are bound to conclude this life under the same description as the patriarch Isaac when it is written that he was old and his eyes were so dim that he could not see. We do much to try to counterRead More →

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The Seventh Sunday after Trinity – Sunday 14 July A✠D 2024 ✠ Psalmody: Psalm 47:1, 47:3, 6-8;34:11, 5;59:1 ✠ Lection: Isaiah 62:6-12;Romans 6:19-23;St. Mark 8:1-9 In the Name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. From whence does your help come, all your help? Do you fear that the bounty, the provision, the health upon which you’ve grown to depend has or is depleting and you worry what shall you be able to do when certain conditions no longer exist for you in life? Indeed, challenges do come to us all, yet we are to trust not what we haveRead More →

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The Sixth Sunday after Trinity – Sunday 7 July A✠D 2024 ✠ Psalmody: Psalm 28:8-9; 28:1-2a, 7;90:13, 1-2b;31:1 ✠ Lection: Exodus 20:1-17;Romans 6:3-11;St. Matthew 5:20-26 In the Name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Blessed be God the Father for giving His children another day in His house where we might receive blessings from Him in His Divine Service, bestowing Christ upon us in the power of the Holy Spirit. The Lord’s Day affirms what we believe, teach, and confess as sacramental, Christ-centered, crucifix-focused Christians. We have plenty of other adjectives to boldly describe who we are, but theseRead More →

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The Third Sunday after Trinity – Sunday 16 June A✠D 2024 ✠ Psalmody: Psalm 25:16, 18;25:1-2, 5, 15, 20;55:22, 16, 18a;18:1-2a ✠ Lection: Micah 7:18-20;1 Peter 5:6-11;St. Luke 15:1-10 In the Name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. The historic lectionary gives us the first two of three parables in Luke chapter 15, with the last being familiar even to unbelievers in our day. Many know and use the term prodigal son, but the real treasure in the story is the faithful Father. O, that we all had earthly fathers like the one in Luke 15! Not to pronounceRead More →

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The Second Sunday after Trinity – Sunday 9 June A✠D 2024 ✠ Psalmody: Psalm 18:18b-19;18:1-2a, 27, 30a;120:1-2;7:11 ✠ Lection: Proverbs 9:1-10;1 John 3:13-18;St. Luke 14:16-24 In the Name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. God has instituted a great supper that hasn’t changed over time. His grace is seen in bountiful food and drink set before us at home, at altar, yet we are fed by His hand in countless ways beyond what we chew and swallow and by what we gulp down. His grace abounds, but His forgiveness is given by specific means. When we see the imageRead More →

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The First Sunday after Trinity – Sunday 2 June A✠D 2024 ✠ Psalmody: Psalm 13:5-6;1-4;41:4, 1;7:1 ✠ Lection: Deuteronomy 6:4–13; 1 John 4:8b–21; St. Luke 16:19–31 In the Name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. We love the here and now so much that the truth about heaven and hell don’t typically come to mind until death comes near to us; either in our own near pass to it or when a loved one’s death startles us to the impending reality that none of us live in this place forever. In those times, for passing moments at least, whatRead More →

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Holy Trinity – Sunday 26 May A✠D 2024 ✠ Psalmody: Psalm 8:1-2a, 3-5;Daniel 3:26 ✠ Lection: Isaiah 6:1-7;Romans 11:33-36;St. John 3:1-15 In the Name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. It’s an indescribable joy to be the one installed into the Office of the Holy Ministry, the Office instituted by God Himself, which is carried out in the lives of the Church by God the Holy Spirit Himself. The joy is immeasurable to have the honor and privilege of standing before you every Sunday morning, at the least, and beginning the Divine Service, His Divine Service of you, byRead More →

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Whitsunday (Pentecost) – Sunday 19 May A✠D 2024 ✠ Psalmody: Wisdom 1:7a, Psalm 68:3;1 ,4a, c, 11a, 33b, 35a;104:30 ✠ Lection: Genesis 11:1-9;Acts 2:1-11;St. John 14:23-31a In the Name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Just as the dispersal of languages from the Tower of Babel was a one-time significant event, so to was the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost in Acts, chapter two. It was the fulfillment of what our Lord had promised to His disciples as we’ve been hearing in our recent Gospel texts from John 15 and 16. The third person of the Trinity,Read More →

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Exaudi – Sunday 12 May A✠D 2024 ✠ Psalmody: Psalm 27:7a, 8, 9a;27:1, 11a, 12;47:8;St. John 14:18a, 28b, 16:22b ✠ Lection: Ezekiel 36:23a, 23c-28;1 Peter 4:7b-11;St. John 15:26—16:4a In the Name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. As the Lord Jesus prepared His disciples in John 15 and 16 for His death, resurrection, and ascension, He likewise prepares us by His same blessed words. We see that after His ascension, the eternal kingdom that He establishes comes by the sending of the Holy Spirit to us, the third Person of the Holy Trinity, Who bears witness to Jesus andRead More →

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Ascension – Thursday 5 May A✠D 2024 ✠ Psalmody: Acts 1:11;Psalm 47:1-2, 5;Psalm 47:5;68:18a ✠ Lection: 2 Kings 2:8–15;Acts 1:1–11;St. Mark 16:14–20  Alleluia, Christ is risen! He is risen indeed, Alleluia!   In the Name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. The Church is blessed with two lengthy accounts written by St. Luke. First, his Gospel text that concludes with the Ascension of our Lord. Second, the book of Acts, which begins with the Ascension of our Lord, but with different details from the Gospel, some of which give us insight into the Son of God’s intention in descending andRead More →

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Rogate – Sunday 5 May A✠D 2024 ✠ Psalmody: Isaiah 48:20b;Psalm 66:1–2a, 17, 19–20;St. John 16:28 ✠ Lection: Numbers 21:4–9;James 1:22–27;St. John 16:23b–30  Alleluia, Christ is risen! He is risen indeed, Alleluia!   In the Name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Most people, especially those with even the slightest amount of Christian background and learning, make a monumental assumption when we pray by expecting that God will actually hear our prayers, that He will turn His ear to listen to us. What right do we have to the ear of God? Have you ever considered that? Almighty God, littleRead More →

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Cantate – Sunday 28 April A✠D 2024 ✠ Psalmody: Psalm 98:1b, 3-4, 1a, 2b;118:16, Romans 6:9 ✠ Lection: Isaiah 12:1–6;James 1:17–21;St. John 16:5–15    Alleluia, Christ is risen! He is risen indeed, Alleluia!   In the Name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Within salvation and sanctification in the life of a sinner, blindness gives way to sight as a redeemed believer comes to see the unseen. This does not mean that once faith is granted to a person that he or she is then able to see demons hiding behind bushes or angels standing at the foot of the bed.Read More →

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Jubilate – Sunday 21 April A✠D 2024 ✠ Psalmody: Psalm 66:1–2; 3, 5, 8–9;111:9a, St. Luke 24:46b, 26b ✠ Lection: Isaiah 40:25–31;1 Peter 2:11–20;St. John 16:16–22 Alleluia, Christ is risen! He is risen indeed, Alleluia!   In the Name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Jubilate; make a joyful noise unto God, have jubilation unto God, rejoice! Advent and Lent aren’t the sole benefactors of Sundays dedicated to jubilation and rejoicing in the Lord. This one most definitely and appropriately falls here right about halfway through the Easter season, but we shall leave the pink paraments and vestments stored andRead More →

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Misericordias Domini – Sunday 14 April A✠D 2024 ✠ Psalmody: Psalm 33: 5b, 6a, 1, 18–20;St. Luke 24:35b;St. John 10:14 ✠ Lection: Ezekiel 34:11–16;1 Peter 2:21b–25;St. John 10:11–16  Alleluia, Christ is risen! He is risen indeed, Alleluia!   In the Name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Jesus Christ is the Good Shepherd, and the earth is full of the misericordias Domini, the goodness of the Lord. It is full of His mercy, for by His merciful works, our eyes have seen and our ears have heard His goodness toward us. Though we have not seen like Thomas, Peter, James,Read More →

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Quasimodo Geniti – Sunday 7 April A✠D 2024 ✠ Psalmody: 1 Peter 2:2a; Psalm 81:1, 7, 10, 16b;St. Matthew 28:7b; St. John 20:26a, c ✠ Lection: Ezekiel 37:1-14;1 John 5:4-10a;St. John 20:19-31  Alleluia, Christ is risen! He is risen indeed, Alleluia!   In the Name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Nearly all fear is unwarranted, regardless of the threats of this world, and regardless of our misconstrued fears of God Himself. Nearly all fear is unwarranted, especially for the Christian heart, especially in the fresh news of Christ’s resurrection from the dead. His victory over the grave is notRead More →

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Easter Day – Sunday 31 March A✠D 2024 ✠ Psalmody: St. Luke 24:5b-6b; Psalm 118:24, 1;1 Corinthians 5:7, 8 ✠ Lection: Job 19:23-27;1 Corinthians 5:7-8;St. Mark 16:1-8 In the Name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Hopefully you’ve come to God’s Divine Service on Easter Day to hear of victory in a world where you’re constantly being bombarded with and conditioned to believe in a life of loss. If you’ve come looking for how there is victory in a world of so much apparent defeat, then the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ is it, singularly, as in, thereRead More →

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Sermon: The reading of the Passion: Good Friday – Friday 29 March A✠D 2024 ✠ Psalmody: Psalm 22, 2, 27, 51 ✠ Lection: St. John 18:1—19:42 In the Name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. We stand peering in darkness at the pinnacle of salvation’s story. If we had been there, on Golgotha, on the day our Lord hung from the cross, then the three hours of darkness would be a sign far greater than any rush to spectacle in a three-minute solar eclipse, for even the smaller event heeds a call to repent and to diligently seek theRead More →

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Maundy Thursday – Thursday 28 March A✠D 2024 ✠ Psalmody: Galatians 6:14b; Psalm 67:1–3, 6b–7;Philippians 2:8b-9;Psalm 111:4–5; John 6:55–56 ✠ Lection: Exodus 24:3–11;1 Corinthians 11:20–32;John 13:1–15 In the Name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Oh, how rich and delightful is the family meal at the Table of our Lord when more are able to join in. This night, on which we remember the betrayal of our Lord Jesus Christ and His institution of Holy Communion, we at Our Savior shall welcome two young children from among us to receive their Savior’s Body and Blood for the first time.Read More →

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Sermon: The reading of the Passion: Palmarum – Sunday 24 March A✠D 2024 ✠ Psalmody: Psalm 22:19, 21;22:1, 7-8, 11;73:23b-24, 1-3;22: 1, 6, 19, 22, 31 ✠ Lection: Exodus 15:27—16:7a; Luke 19:29–40;Philippians 2:5-11;Matthew 26:1-27:66 In the Name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. By your mouths this morning, you spoke harrowing words about the Lord Jesus, saying, “Let Him be crucified!…Let Him be crucified!” We not only consider this Palm Sunday, but The Sunday of the Passion, because by entering into Holy Week, the Church has historically used this Sunday to begin reading in its gatherings the Passion accountsRead More →

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Judica Mid-Week – Wednesday 20 March A✠D 2024 ✠ Psalmody: Psalm 43:1-2a;43:3-5;143:9a, 10a;18:48a, c;129:1-4 ✠ Lection: Leviticus 19:1-2a, 10b-19a, 25b; St. John 10:22-38 In the Name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Those who believe Jesus, follow Jesus. They say rightly that He is a king. For this cause He was born, and for this cause He has come into the world, that He should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears the voice of Jesus. As He taught truth, He was confronted, He was surrounded by those who question Who He is, thusRead More →

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Judica – Sunday 17 March A✠D 2024 ✠ Psalmody: Psalm 43:1-2a;43:3-5;143:9a, 10a;18:48a, c;129:1-4 ✠ Lection: Genesis 22:1-19;Hebrews 9:11-15;St. John 8:46-59a In the Name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. It is truly meet, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places venerate the crucifix, which depicts the death of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is also truly meet, right, and salutary to consider and repeatedly consider the beautiful symbolism that we employ in our worship and in our daily lives as Christians. We often adorn our own bodies with small crucifixes hung from ourRead More →

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Laetare Mid-Week – Wednesday 13 March A✠D 2024 ✠ Psalmody: Isaiah 66:10a, 11a;Psalm 122:1-2, 6, 8;122:1, 7;125:1-2 ✠ Lection: Ezekiel 36:23a, 23c–28; Isaiah 1:16-19; St. John 9:1-38   In the Name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Rejoice ye with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all ye that love her: that ye may suck, and be satisfied with the breasts of her consolations. Children receive the satisfying nourishment from their mother, and, as we heard on Laetare, we are fed and sustained by the Food that comes down to us from above. The Jerusalem above is free, which isRead More →

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Laetare – Sunday 10 March A✠D 2024 ✠ Psalmody: Isaiah 66:10a, 11a;Psalm 122:1-2, 6, 8;122:1, 7;125:1-2 ✠ Lection: Exodus 16:2-21;Galatians 4:22—5:1a;St. John 6:1-15 In the Name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Rejoice and be glad in Jesus, priceless treasure, fount of purest pleasure, for He pours down enduring abundance from heaven for you in His good gifts of Word and Sacrament. In a world where you need more than bread alone, He feeds you with every word that proceeds out of His mouth. He feeds you with what you need to endure, to thrive, to build one anotherRead More →

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Oculi Mid-week – Wednesday 6 March A✠D 2024 ✠ Psalmody: Psalm 25:15-16;25:1-2, 17-18, 20;9:19, 3;123:1-3 ✠ Lection: Exodus 20:12–24a;St. Matthew 15:1–20 In the Name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. To eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man, yet our modern minds kind of half agree with the scribes and Pharisees that it’s a bad idea not to wash our hands before we eat. After all, haven’t we been enlightened to know that there are microscopic dangers lurking about waiting for us to forgetfully not wash our hands so that they can get us and make usRead More →

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Oculi – Sunday 3 March A✠D 2024 ✠ Psalmody: Psalm 25:15-16;25:1-2, 17-18, 20;9:19, 3;123:1-3 ✠ Lection: Exodus 8:16-24;Ephesians 5:1-9;St. Luke 11:14-28 In the Name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Mine eyes are ever toward the LORD; Look upon mine affliction and my pain; And forgive all my sins. We beseech You, almighty God, to look upon the hearty desires of Your humble servants; Unto thee lift I up mine eyes, O thou that dwellest in the heavens. Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, And as the eyes of a maiden untoRead More →

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Reminiscere Mid-week – Wednesday 28 February A✠D 2024 ✠ Psalmody: Psalm 25:1–2a, 7–8, 11; antiphon: vv. 6, 2b, 22;Psalm 25:17–18;Psalm 106:1–4 ✠ Lection: Esther 13:8-11, 15-17 (Apocryphal); St. Matthew 20:17-28    In the Name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Faith not only peers into the unseen with hope, but it endures, yea, it embraces the seen as part of Christ’s work; not the wickedness of this evil age, but the Lord’s use of it, especially in service to one another. Only He can take what is meant for evil and make it for good. He makes it for goodRead More →

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Reminiscere – Sunday 25 February A✠D 2024 ✠ Psalmody: Psalm 25:6, 2b, 22;25:1-2a, 7-8, 11;25:17-18;106:1-4 ✠ Lection: Genesis 32:22-32;1 Thessalonians 4:1-7;St. Matthew 15:21-28 In the Name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. In contrast to last Sunday, when we praised Jesus as our Champion, as our Victor, as He was led into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil and overcame him by the word that proceeds from His mouth, today we see Jesus conquered. Twice. It was His will in both instances that this happened. It was His will that Jacob prevailed over Him, even after inflictingRead More →

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Invocavit Mid-week – Wednesday 21 February A✠D 2024 ✠ Psalmody: Psalm 91:15a, c, 16;91:1-2, 9-10, 13;91:11–12;91:1, 2 4a ✠ Lection: Exodus 24:12–18;1 Kings 19:3b–8;St. Matthew 12:38–50 In the Name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. When we gather around the Table of Christ to taste forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation, to receive into our own person eternity, let us not take even a singular moment for granted. Repent for any moment that you take God and His gifts for granted as He brings heaven to earth in His Divine Service. Turn and ever lift up your hearts toRead More →

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Invocavit – Sunday 18 February A✠D 2024 ✠ Psalmody: Psalm 91:15a, c, 16;91:1-2, 9-10, 13;91:11–12;91:1, 2, 4a ✠ Lection: Genesis 3:1-21;2 Corinthians 6:1-10;St. Matthew 4:1-11 In the Name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation. This is what happened in the Garden when the serpent of old deceived our first parents. The devil is a created being, so taking on the Creator head-to-head in a battle of opposing strength or might is obviously, even in a fallen angel’s eyes, foolish with no possibility of success. In order toRead More →

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Quinquagesima – Sunday 11 February A✠D 2024 ✠ Psalmody: Psalm 18:5-6a, 49;18:1-2a, 27, 32;77:14-15;100:1-3 ✠ Lection: Isaiah 35:3-7;1 Corinthians 13:1-13;St. Luke 18:31-43 In the Name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. By this day’s end, you will have had but a mere 11 Sundays in which to prepare for your coming King, to celebrate His Holy Nativity, to follow the Magi by faith, to ascend to the Mount of Transfiguration with the disciples, and to prepare for the journey of Lent that will bring us to Jerusalem with Jesus. A late start to Advent followed by an early EasterRead More →

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Sexagesima – Sunday 4 February A✠D 2024 ✠ Psalmody: Psalm 44:23, 25a, 26a;1–2, 7–8;83:18, 13;60:1–2, 5 ✠ Lection: Isaiah 55:10–13;2 Corinthians 11:19—12:9;St. Luke 8:4–15 In the Name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Our dear Lord Jesus graciously tells His disciples and us that the seed that is sown in the parable is the Word of God. His parables do have meanings in them that are for our understanding, by the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit to understand spiritual things, but the same meanings are hidden from those who do not believe. This means that the parables are forRead More →

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Candlemas – Friday 2 February A✠D 2024 ✠ Psalmody: Psalm 48:9;Psalm 48:1–3, 8;Psalm 48:1, 8a, 9;St. Luke 2:34b ✠ Lection: Malachi 3:1–4;Hebrews 2:14–18;St. Luke 2:22–32 In the Name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. One thing I have desired of the LORD,That will I seek:That I may dwell in the house of the LORDAll the days of my life,To behold the beauty of the LORD,And to inquire in His temple. On this Friday evening, we are here inquiring in His temple, seeking and desiring the LORD; this is good. Fridays can be holy, too, as we learn in theRead More →

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Septuagesima – Sunday 28 January A✠D 2024 ✠ Psalmody: Psalm 18:5-6a;1–2a, 27, 32, 49;9:9–10, 18–19a;130:1–4 ✠ Lection: Daniel 9:2-10;1 Corinthians 9:24—10:4;St. Matthew 20:1–16 In the Name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. How is it that you might come down from the Transfiguration mount with and in your Lord Jesus, and traverse life’s valleys of cross and suffering? These three Sundays of Pre-Lent teach you foundational truths about the Christian faith that are meant to strengthen and encourage you in body and soul so that you may endure. My opening question assumes much. It was only God and HisRead More →

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The Transfiguration of Our Lord – Sunday 21 January A✠D 2024 ✠ Psalmody: Psalm 77:18b;84:1–2a, 4, 10–11;45:2a;110:1;96:2–3 ✠ Lection: Exodus 34:29–35;2 Peter 1:16–21;St. Matthew 17:1–9 In the Name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. As with Saints Peter, James, and John, the Lord has been showing and teaching us much as He’s brought us to His Transfiguration. Our flight up to the top of this mountain of remembrance has been swift, being that it was still but a month ago that we were preparing to celebrate the Nativity of our Lord. And here we are today closing out EpiphanyRead More →

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The Baptism of Our Lord – Sunday 14 January A✠D 2024 ✠ Psalmody: Psalm 89:20;89:1, 26-28;72:18–19;143:10 ✠ Lection: Isaiah 42:1-7;1 Corinthians 1:26-31;St. Matthew 3:13-17 In the Name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Be not thou far from me, O LORD: O my strength, haste thee to help me. The psalmist David spoke these prophetic words that became the prayer of our dear Lord as He neared His death upon the cross. Likewise, the Holy Spirit inspired them that they may be our own, too. Do you ever pray asking God to not be far from you, but nearRead More →

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The First Sunday after Christmas – Sunday 31 December A✠D 2023 ✠ Psalmody: Psalm 93:5, 2; 1, 3–4;45:2a, 1b;93:1 ✠ Lection: Jeremiah 31:31-34;Galatians 4:1–7;St. Luke 2:33-40 In the Name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Christmastime is not immune to controversy nor to conflict. Overall, most people tend to be nicer, more giving, jollier than at other times of the year, yet we know, some by very close and personal experience, that controversy and conflict can happen anywhere and anytime people are involved. As we have heard, so have we seen that we have the most certain Reason, theRead More →

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The Nativity of Our Lord – Monday 25 December A✠D 2023 ✠ Psalmody: Isaiah 9:6;Psalm 98:1-4;118:26a, 27a, 23 ✠ Lection: Isaiah 52:6–10;Hebrews 1:1-12;St. John 1:1–14 In the Name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. To what shall we compare this generation? It is like a guest invited to and seated at a great banquet feast and yet proceeds to ignore the Table and eat from the gruel in the dog’s bowl. We shall not completely disparage the gruel, for is it not also provision from the Lord’s hand? Likewise, we shall not disparage the gift of family and presentsRead More →

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Vigil of the nativity – Sunday 24 December A✠D 2023 ✠ Psalmody: Psalm 2:6-7;24:1, 3-5;98:3b–4a, 2;2:7 ✠ Lection: Isaiah 62:1–4a;Romans 1:1–6;St. Matthew 1:18b–21 In the Name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Blessed Advent and Merry Christmas! What we experience today is a liturgical oddity that is infrequently seen, but oddity may convey a shred of negativity. Let us not at all be negative on this Eve of the Holy Nativity of Our Lord that is also the fourth and final Sunday in Advent. When that fourth Sunday falls on December 24th, the Church has historically observed an interestingRead More →

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Gaudete Midweek – Wednesday 20 December A✠D 2023 ✠ Psalmody: Philippians 4:4-5;Psalm 85:1, 2, 6, 8;80:1–2;80:2b ✠ Lection: Isaiah 2:2-5;Isaiah 7:10-15;St. Luke 1:26-28a In the Name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. We like to give up. Not only in easy, permissible times, such as Advent midweek meals, but in important matters, especially if suffering is involved or if we don’t see any reward or payoff coming from us sucking it up and putting in honest effort. Some of us give up more quickly than others, but for each one of us, there is something or somethings that canRead More →

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Populus Zion Midweek – Wednesday 13 December A✠D 2023 ✠ Psalmody: Isaiah 62:11;30:30, 29;Psalm 80: 1, 3, 14, 17;50:2-3, 5;St. Luke 21:26b-27 ✠ Lection: Malachi 3:1-5;4:5-6a; St. Matthew 11:11-15            In the Name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. As this Adventide is already half-over, we prepare for our coming Lord further by examining our life, our very existence, in the kingdom, in the reign, of heaven, for, indeed, He draws near. We hear what our dear Lord tells us about the Day that has come and in which we now live. Many in the Church like the words fromRead More →

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Populus Zion – Sunday 10 December A✠D 2023 ✠ Psalmody: Isaiah 62:11;30:30, 29;Psalm 80: 1, 3, 14, 17;50:2-3, 5;St. Luke 21:26b-27 ✠ Lection: Song of Songs 2:8b-14;Romans 15:4-13;St. Luke 21:25-33 In the Name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Behold, your King is coming to you and He brings with Him the Kingdom of Heaven. He has come to draw near to us who have distanced ourselves from Him, but He has yet brought the Kingdom in its full measure or else it would have been of no use for us to confess our sins this morning. When theRead More →

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Wednesday of Ad Te Levavi – 6 December A✠D 2023 ✠ Psalmody: Psalm 25:1-3a;25:4–5, 21–22;25:3-4;85:7 ✠ Lection: James 5:7–10; St. Matthew 3:1–6 In the Name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand! Don’t be scared. Don’t shrink back from this stern warning coupled with its awful, awesome reason. Remember that your King comes to you not to condemn you but to save you; not to break you or quench you like a bruised reed or a smoldering wick, but to lift you up from the darkness of this world; to satisfyRead More →

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Ad Te Levavi – Sunday 3 December A✠D 2023 ✠ Psalmody: Psalm 25:1-3a;25:4–5, 21–22;25:3-4;85:7 ✠ Lection: Jeremiah 23:5–8;Romans 13:11-14;St. Matthew 21:1–9 In the Name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Behold, your King is coming to you! Two weeks ago on the Second Last Sunday in the Church Year, we were reminded of how terrifying the truth of the King coming on the Last Day will be for the goats, the unbelievers, who will be cast away from the glorious presence of God into everlasting punishment. But the righteous, the sheep, the blessed of the Father, will be welcomedRead More →

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Thanksgiving – Wednesday 22 November A✠D 2023 ✠ Psalmody: Psalm 150:6;150:2, 1;145:15-16;103:1-2 ✠ Lection: Deuteronomy 8:1-10;1 Timothy 2:1-8;St. Luke 17:11-19 In the Name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. It is good to give thanks to the LORD; to sing praises to Your Name, O Most High; to herald Your love in the morning, Your truth at the close of the day. Thus here we are on this eve of our national day of Thanksgiving. Though we would contend with the Pilgrims on multiple points of doctrine, we would not deny them to be Christian brothers and sisters. ThereforeRead More →

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The Second Last Sunday – Sunday 19 November A✠D 2023 ✠ Psalmody: Psalm 54:1–2;3–5, 7;50:4, 6;Isaiah 35:10a ✠ Lection: Daniel 7:9-14;2 Peter 3:3-14;St. Matthew 25:31-46 In the Name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. The Son of Man, the Son of God, will come again in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, and He will sit on the throne of His glory. Much like our preparation when a guest is coming to our home, especially an honored guest, so may the Final Day bring about both excitement and anxious fear. Is everything in order? Have IRead More →