Betrayal burns with the intensity of the sun; it scalds the very soul.
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Tag: Rev von Hindenburg
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.
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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.
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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.
Forgiveness doesn’t count
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.
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.