Haven’t we been here before? It sounds so familiar.
Every year, for those of us who follow the One Year Lectionary, on the Fifth Sunday after Trinity, we hear the account of a miraculous catch of fish. Remember? …For more, click on the title above.
Tag: Pastor von Hindenburg
The stranger on the road to Emmaus
The Gospel Reading takes us back to that first Easter Sunday. The early morning events are now over. Most of Jesus’ disciples are back in Jerusalem in a house with the doors locked in fear of the Jews.
The afternoon sun is approaching the horizon as two disciples are walking on the dirt road out of Jerusalem. …For more, click on the title above.
Injustice after injustice brought justification for us
It was the greatest injustice. The Passion of Jesus, as described to us by St. John, repeats injustice after injustice. …For more, click on the title above.
‘I am with you and I will deliver you’
Tonight, because the remainder of our Gospel reading appointed for this evening covers Spy Wednesday—the day/night Judas plotted with the Sanhedrin to betray Jesus, the Passover supper celebrated by Jesus with his disciples, and the arrest, crucifixion and burial of Jesus, all of which will be covered in various ways and forms during the remainder of our nightly services here at Catalina Lutheran Church, I have been moved by the Holy Spirit to speak about our Old Testament text appointed for this day from the prophet Jeremiah…For more, click on the title above.
Fear and loathing in the Garden of Gethsemane
Today’s/tonight’s reading comes from St. Luke, St. Mark, and St. John, in that order. From Luke we hear of the arrest of Jesus in the darkness of the night. From Mark we learn about the fleeing of the disciples and a young man who runs away naked after almost having been detained in the Garden. And from St. John we become aware of the words spoken by Caiaphas, the Jewish High Priest, which would play out in Gospel clarity….For more, click on the title above.
Betrayal
Betrayal burns with the intensity of the sun; it scalds the very soul.
Click on the title above for more…
The parable of the Sower: A lesson for us
The parable from today’s appointed Gospel is not hard to understand. The farmer scatters seed in the expectation that some will take root, grow and bear a harvest. Because that’s what farmers do. Now, along the way, some stuff happens to the seed:
• Some are snatched by birds.
• Some get parched and die.
• Some get choked by weeds.
For more, click on the title above.
At what do we marvel?
Joseph and Mary are following the ritual law of purification for the mother. According to the Law of Moses, every first-born child had to be presented to the Lord, and a sacrifice made so that the mother could be declared clean by the priest.
Before this ritual could take place, a man, presumably unknown to either of them, approaches and takes the child in his arms, blesses God, and begins to speak. All of this had taken place prior to our pericope for today where the first words we read are,
“And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him.”
Which brings us to our first question of the day: “What was said that made Jesus’ parents marvel?” …For more, click on the title above
A journey to Salvation
Ah—Christmas Eve. The church is appropriately decorated. The candles are lit. The lights on the tree sparkle. It’s a brilliance, a special brilliance, because this is a night that is waited for, a night prepared for, a night longed for.
It is a celebration of an event more than 2,000 years old—one that has not been forgotten—nor will it ever be.
For more, click on the title above.
The power and peace of Holy Absolution
So, what is this third Sacrament and how may it be used by us—by you? Today/tonight we will be exploring Holy Absolution. First, we should understand where this “sacrament” is found. Why is it called a sacrament? And finally, why do we need it or, how is it used?…For more, click on the title above.