For well more than five centuries, the Sunday Gospel readings drawn from the Evangelist Luke’s writings have annually been heard on the first five Sundays that follow the Feast of the Holy Trinity. The first three of those, beginning today, continue to declare a call to the hearers of God’s Word to be faithful in using the gifts God continues to give to them. …For more, click on the title above.
Author: kyriss
Comfort in the face of Incomprehensible Ways
“O depth of riches, both the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgements, and how incomprehensible are His ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord? And who has been His counselor? Or who has first given to Him, that it shall be recompensed to him?”
Thus far our text. Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, these few short verses are something I very much wish the average person would understand about God. Many problems people have with who God is and how He works could be dispelled by a good understanding of this text. Since probably the beginning of life after the fall, non-believers have been hung up on these aspects of Our God. …For more, click on the title above.
God is a cheerful giver
Today the Word of God has been heard. It is the same Word that, over history, in many human languages, the Holy Spirit has used to close out the Festival Half of the Church Year. Today’s Pentecost Feast brings to a fitting end the parts of the calendar that give to us the celebrations of the five Great Feasts of the Ancient Church….
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Jesus’ Word keeps His disciples from being triggered
Jesus’ words concerning all He had spoken have set the theme for this day. His purpose in revealing all He did—through dark sayings as well as in clear teaching—was to help keep His followers from stumbling into sin, misbelief and unbelief. His proclamation that we heard today serves to provide a fitting summary for the teachings contained in the Gospel readings chosen long ago for the 50 days of the Resurrection Season.
Where’s the Fanfare?
Our text for this evening’s meditation comes from the Gospel reading you heard just moments ago these words:
“And it came to pass in His blessing of them, he was separated from them and was carried up into heaven.”
Is that it? There has got to be more written about the Ascension of our Lord than that, right? Besides Luke, only one other Gospel writer records the Ascension, that being Mark. Perhaps Mark has more to say about it, because frankly, I was expecting a bit more fanfare out of something so glorious as the Ascension. …For more, click on the title above.
‘Ask and it shall be given…’
Truly, truly I say to you…
Truly, truly, I say to all of you, “Whatsoever you all may ask the Father, He will give to all of you in My Name.”
With apostolic words like those, you are called to remember that, during each sermon, Jesus still wills to speak to you through the words of the men whom He, through His Church, has placed into the Office of the Holy Ministry. That sermonic blessing, and others like it that are drawn directly from the Epistles—the inspired Apostolic Letters in the New Testament—reminds the hearers of the Word for the day that the Holy Spirit still wills to point them, you, to Jesus during every Lord’s Service to His people.
Sing for joy
Directors use music to affect our emotions. They want to draw us into the film. They want to manipulate how we feel as the plot thickens.
In the Church we don’t want—or need—to be manipulated that way. We want to sing to the Lord because of His righteousness and the satisfaction that Christ has made for us through His suffering, death and resurrection. We want to recall His marvelous deeds. We want to give thanks and praise for what He has done….For more, click on the title above.
The Root of true joy
Reasons for rejoicing
The seven-week Resurrection season was given to the Church long ago. That was done that we might hear, every year, the glorious reasons we have for rejoicing,,,,For more, click on the title above.