There hasn’t been, and won’t be, a word heard tonight, in song or text or sermon, that these walls haven’t heard hundreds of times before. No matter how old we are, most of us have sat here or someplace quite like this, on Christmas Eve, and heard these words, these songs, these texts before. …For more, click on the title above.
Tag: Pastor von Hindenburg
The Nunc Dimittis–Song of Simeon
I was brought up in the Church. It’s an advantage, I believe, because things that others, non-believers or new believers, don’t have. I was indoctrinated. Thank you dad and mom, and Pastors Ryding and Rittmann and Lorenz. I was indoctrinated by solid teaching and by living a life that was focused around Church.
And when I say focused around the Church, I don’t mean the potlucks, the Vacation Bible School, the camping trips, the youth groups and all of the “stuff” that goes with Church, I mean worship and confirmation classes and living with parents that taught and reminded us—my brother and me—about the importance of prayer….For more, click on the title above.
God’s gifts; our joy in responding
If you have spent any time reading the Holy Scriptures you’ll find that not every person is presented as a “hero of the Bible.”
In fact, most of those that we may aspire to follow—men like Moses, King David or St. Paul or even back to the Father of the nation of Israel, Abraham—we find that along with their admirable traits, they all had their faults. Sometimes they are positive examples. They hold to their faith despite great challenges. Sometimes, the examples are negative, and we are cautioned not to follow these examples and their descent into sin. …For more, click on the title above.
New heavens and new earth–What does this mean?
Our initial question for this morning is: What does it mean to create a new heaven and a new earth? Is the prophet speaking about the Kingdom of Grace in which we Christians now live, or, is this new heaven and earth the one Promised at the End of the Age?…For more, click on the title above.
Life to eternity
Forty years ago, on this date, November 22,1985, at about this same hour, I heard the sound of a phone ringing. I wasn’t a pastor at that time in my life. I was a salesman, making a presentation in a house in Silver City, New Mexico. This was before cell phones, so it wasn’t my phone, it was that of the homeowner. I was a little mad because it had interrupted the flow of my sales pitch….For more, click on the title above.
The call of Moses
I can just about guarantee each and every one of you gathered here this morning or listening to this sermon in some far-off place that one day you’ll find yourself wondering, “Who am I?” and “Why am I here?” Several thousand years ago, Moses was having one of those days. There he was, minding his own business, tending his father-in-law Jethro’s sheep, when God decides to call him to action. …For more, click on the title above.
Sheep or goat; which are you?
The Feast Day of Saint’s Simon & Jude
It is written in the Augsburg Confession, Article 21, our churches “teach that the memory of saints may be set before us, that we may follow their faith and good works, according to our calling,….” So then, this appropriate question is put forth: “Who follows the example of obscure apostles?” Obscure preachers like me – like Pastor Morehouse, like many other pastors I have known in my lifetime. Let’s face it, none of us are going to be another Martin Luther. Some may preach as well as Luther,
but none of them will very likely be a world-changing figure like Martin Luther.
Yet, we all are preachers like Simon and Jude. Unlike them we were not blessed to see Jesus’ earthly ministry, His passion, His death, and His burial. We weren’t present for His ascension or the coming of the Holy Spirit.”
Click on the title above for the full sermon.
Feast Day of Saint’s Simon and Jude
“It is written in the Augsburg Confession, Article 21, our churches “teach that the memory of saints may be set before us, that we may follow their faith and good works, according to our calling,….” So then, this appropriate question is put forth: “Who follows the example of obscure apostles?” Obscure preachers like me – like Pastor Morehouse, like many other pastors I have known in my lifetime. Let’s face it, none of us are going to be another Martin Luther. Some may preach as well as Luther,
but none of them will very likely be a world-changing figure like Martin Luther.
Yet, we all are preachers like Simon and Jude. Unlike them we were not blessed to see Jesus’ earthly ministry, His passion, His death, and His burial. We weren’t present for His ascension or the coming of the Holy Spirit.”
For the full sermon click on the title above
A little Jacob, A little Paul,A lot of Jesus.
“And yet….and yet, in faith, in spite of how at times we all may grumble and whine about the condition of this building or the landscaping, we still join Jacob in proclaiming: “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!”
To hear the full sermon, click on the title above.