Forgiveness doesn’t count. Oh, don’t get me wrong! I don’t mean that it doesn’t matter or that it’s not important. By no means. No, forgiveness counts for a lot in that respect. In fact, it’s everything. We’d be lost without forgiveness.
But when I say, Forgiveness doesn’t count, I mean it in the way that Jesus teaches it, which is to say, forgiveness doesn’t keep score. Forgiveness doesn’t count. It doesn’t keep score or keep track of how many times it has to forgive. …For more, click on the title above.
Tag: Pastor von Hindenburg
Why Are the Saints Blessed?
Today is the day we celebrate All Saints Day, perhaps one of the most misunderstood “Festival” days in the church year.
But, with that said, with the help of the Holy Spirit we will look at what God has to say in regard to “life after death.” To begin with, however, let’s answer a couple of basic questions: what is All Saints Day, and why does the Lutheran Church celebrate it?…For more, click on the title above.
Unpacking the meaning of a parable
Sometimes when you begin a sermon you need to explain what the text you are preaching on is NOT about before you can say what it is about and how it applies to the hearers. I hope this helps, because the parable of the wicked, nasty tenants is one of those texts.
This parable of Jesus is not about an unfruitful vineyard. It is not about a vineyard that bore the wrong kind of fruit. This parable is not about the people of God who at times do not bear the fruit that they should be bearing. And so, we should not simplistically say that we are just like the tenant workers in that vineyard because we sometimes don’t bear fruit for God….For more, click on the title above.
With Jesus, there are only the sick
Symptoms can lead to, or be an indication of, something much worse. So, we can’t always treat the symptoms like we do an annoying noise in the car. You all know how you treat that, right? You turn the radio up until you can no longer hear the noise. There are times when we have to dig deeper and find the underlying problem.
In our Gospel reading appointed for this Festival of St. Matthew, where we hear the call of Matthew and the subsequent dinner held at his house, there’s a sneaky symptom that shows up. …For more, click on the title above.
The Pharisee and the publican
At first glance, it appears that there are many different religions in the world. In fact, I was watching the launch and 90-minute flight—3 of those experiencing weightlessness—of the Virgin Galactic the other day and one of the reporters said it was a spiritual…almost religious experience…one you, too, can have for $450,000.
But we already have Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism…the list goes on, and on, and on. What surprises most people is that, even when you just look at Christianity, there are more than 44,000 different denominations of Christianity in the world.
But, in fact, and you really need to hear this: there are only two religions—the right one, and all the rest. …for more, click on thr title above.
Jesus is at the center of the Trinity
Jesus – and this is so important in understanding Lutheran theology vs. other protestant theology – Jesus is at the center of the Trinity. He is the One who will bring you into the triune life of God…
For more click on the title above
What does it mean: Jesus spoke this dark saying?
Hearing Christ’s voice will progress to knowing His voice. The sheep will conform to the nature and will of Christ.
For more, click on the title above
5th Wednesday after Easter
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.
Easter promises: Fulfilled in Christ’s resurrection
I exhort you in Christ Jesus: Do not for a minute dismiss what we celebrate here: For on this Easter morning, we celebrate nothing less than the triumph over death itself. Triumph over actual death—this is not some story we use as a mind-numbing agent, to make us feel better about life and its hardships in this world.
No, my friends, we rejoice that Christ has accomplished what all science, medicine and human effort cannot possibly do. He has conquered the grave. He has won the victory so that we can truly live forever in the gracious presence of God. …For more, click on the title above.