Author: Bethlehem Lutheran
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Fifth Sunday of Easter
~ Cantate ~ Readings: Isaiah 12:1-6 | James 1:16-21 | James 1:16-25 Text: James 1:16-25 Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed, alleluia! From the moment we’re born and placed in our mother’s arms, we’re growing and learning. We learn from sights, sounds, and smells. We learn from things we do, and things that…
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Fourth Sunday of Easter
~ Jubilate ~ Readings: Isaiah 40:25-31 | 1 Peter 2:11-20 | John 16:16-22 Text: John 16:16-22 Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed, alleluia! Among the many promises of God, we have our favorites: But there’s another promise which the Lord makes in today’s Gospel. It probably won’t make anyone’s list of favorites, or…
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Third Sunday of Easter
~ Misericordias Domini ~ Readings: Ezekiel 34:11-16 | 1 Peter 2:21-25 | John 10:11-16 Text: John 10:11-16 In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. People sometimes say, “If you want it done right, you’ve gotta do it yourself.” Whether it’s cleaning the bathroom or fixing something that broke, sometimes this is true. Maybe that’s how…
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Second Sunday of Easter
~ Quasimodo Geniti ~ Readings: Ezekiel 37:1-14 | 1 John 5:4-10 | John 20:19-31 Text: John 20:19-31 Alleluia! Christ is risen! Christ is risen from the dead, our paschal lamb has been sacrificed, our mouths are filled with Hallelujah’s/Praise the Lord.[1] But, what does all this mean for us day by day? What has really…
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The Resurrection of Our Lord
Readings: Job 19:23-27 | 1 Corinthians 5:6-8 | Mark 16:1-8 Text: Zechariah 6:1-15 Crowned King and Priest Alleluia! Christ is risen! When the crowd saw Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey, the crowd cheered. The Jews grabbed palm branches and waved them in the air. They threw their coats onto the road. They…
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Easter Sunrise
Readings: Isaiah 25:6-9 | 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 | John 20:1-18 Text: Zechariah 6:1-8 Joy Comes with the Morning Some of us are not “morning people.” I am, but others look at me like I’m weird. If we had an Easter Sunrise service at 6am, I’m afraid I might be the only one here! Now,…
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Paschal Vigil
Text: Jeremiah 31:31-34 P [To the bridegroom] Will you have this woman to be your wedded wife, to live together in the holy estate of matrimony as God ordained it? Will you nourish and cherish her as Christ loved His body, the Church, giving Himself up for her? Will you love, honor, and keep her…
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Good Friday
Readings: John 19:1-16a | John 19:16b-42 Text: John 19:1-42 Who is your King? Israel had often confessed this: “The Lord became king…when the heads of the people were gathered, all the tribes of Israel together” (Deut. 33:5) “Who is the King of glory? The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord, mighty in battle!” (Ps. 24:8)…
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Maundy Thursday
Readings: Exodus 12:1-14 | 1 Corinthians 11:23-32 | John 13:1-15, 34-35 Text: Exodus 12:1-14; John 13:1-15 (34-35) “The Nearness of God’s Redemption” In the Passover, God provided salvation from death by the substitute of another. But this couldn’t be the fullness. No lamb could take the place of a person, for how had a lamb…
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Palm Sunday
Holy Baptism of D.S. Grohn Readings: John 12:12-19 | Philippians 2:5-11 | Matthew 27:11-54 Text: John 12:12-19 (Procession Gospel) Many of our favorite English translations label this section the “Triumphal Entry.” But this term can be somewhat misleading. The Evangelist doesn’t call this a triumphal entry, because it isn’t one…yet. It definitely has the features…