Category: Mid-Week
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The Nativity of Our Lord
Readings: Isaiah 52:7-10 | Hebrews 1:1-12 | John 1:1-18 Text: Isaiah 52:7-10 We’ve become accustomed to associating this text with the Gospel because of St. Paul’s quoting it in Romans 10: 13For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”14How then will they call on him in whom they have not…
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Eve of the Nativity of Our Lord
~ Lessons and Carols ~ Readings: Isaiah 7:10-14 | 1 John 4:7-16 | Luke 2:1-20 Text: 1 John 4:7-16 So much of Christmas tradition has become alienated from what this holy day actually commemorates. Some of it comes from past Christian influence, like Paradise Trees laden with fruit and the Eucharist’s food of immortality, like…
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Fourth Sunday in Advent (Advent 4A)
Readings: Isaiah 7:10-17 | Romans 1:1-7 | Matthew 1:18-25 Text: Matthew 1:18-25 The generation of Jesus Christ. What’s in the word generation? It depends upon those who came before it. No matter who our parents are or if they were the ones who raised us, they handed down various things to us—hereditary traits, perhaps even…
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Third Sunday of Advent
Readings: Isaiah 35:1-10 | James 5:7-11 | Matthew 11:2-15 Text: Matthew 11:2-15 The theme for this Sunday is JOY – Historically the first word heard was “Gaudete!” (Latin for Rejoice) – “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice!” (Phil. 4:4) But in the Gospel we have a picture of persecution and uncertainty. …
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Second Sunday in Advent
Readings: Isaiah 11:1-10 | Romans 15:4-13 | Matthew 3:1-12 Text: Matthew 3:1-12 Saint John the Baptizer’s appearance is jarring. There’s no getting comfortable around a man who wears camel fur and eats nothing but bugs and honey. But why? John is uncomfortable because of what his appearance brings up combined with what he preaches. He…
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First Sunday in Advent
Readings: Isaiah 2:1-5 | Romans 13:(8-10) 11-14 | Matthew 21:1-11 Text: Matthew 21:1-11 This time of looking forward to Christmas is called Advent (from the Latin for arrival). It’s called that because it’s about Jesus’ coming. He came in lowliness in the manger at Bethlehem, just as was promised. “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and…
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Paschal Vigil
Readings: Genesis 1:1-2:3 | Exodus 14:10-15:1 | Jonah 3 | Mark 16:1-8 Texts: Genesis 1-2; 6-9; Jonah 3 From Clement of Rome, 1 Clement chap. v.—No less evils have arisen from the same source in the most recent times. the martyrdom of Peter and Paul. But not to dwell upon ancient examples, let us come…
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Good Friday
Readings: Isaiah 52:13-53:12 | John 18:1-19:30 Text: Isaiah 53:3-11 THE DEATH OF GOD’S SON IS THE PAYMENT FOR MY SINS AND BROUGHT ME PEACE. Still today, we sing, “Salvation Unto Us Has Come” and we hear every Sunday of the wonderful things that God has done for us. We are Lutheran; it says so on…
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Maundy Thursday
Readings: Exodus 12:1-14 | 1 Corinthians 11:23-32 | John 12:1-15, 34-35 Text: Jeremiah 31:31-34 Jesus, being a God-fearing Jew, celebrated the Lord’s Passover every year—as a child and as an adult. But on the night in which He was betrayed, something fundamental was on the verge of changing. He was ending the covenant which God…
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Palm Sunday
Readings: Zechariah 9:9-12 | Philippians 2:5-11 | Matthew 26-27 Text: John 12:12-19 (Procession Gospel) In St. John’s account of Palm Sunday, we find out that the crowd was composed of two main groups, both of whom knew that Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead. The verses immediately before what we heard in the procession…