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The miracle of the Annunciation is more than a historic event. By the account of St. Luke, by the testimony of the Evangelist, you hear the proclamation of the angel, you hear Mary’s response of faith. And you have hope. Because: you were not conceived without sin; you were begotten of a human father and born to a human mother. And so, to you, the curse applies. In pain, your mother bore you. And like Cain, and, indeed, all of Adam’s descendants, the fruits of your sin have c

As men observe the signs of a creation groaning under its bondage to decay, Jesus tells us that people will see this shaking of the powers that be, along with the resultant distress of nations,  and that, “their hearts will fail them from fear.”  Beloved, this is the way it is for the world; those who don’t fear God must fear everything else: the political climate, acts of violence, the environment, the economy, one’s health, relationship and family issues, all of that become

Readings: Old Testament: Psalm 23 Epistle: Romans 14:7-9 Holy Gospel: John 14:1-6 Sermon audio: downlo ad Obituary: link Sermon: Sermon based on Psalm 23 * In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.   Dearly family and friends of Doris:  On behalf of the members of Our Saviour Lutheran Church, let me say that we grieve with you over the loss of your beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, relative, and friend. Doris was a dear member and

Have you not been a little like Zacharias at times? And shouldn’t you know better? You are a Christian, after all, instructed in the faith; the Lord even sends a messenger to come and talk to you in His House. And yet, there you are, still having trouble believing what the Lord tells you. He tells you that He is your good and loving Father, who will take care of you in all your needs. And yet, you don’t trust God as you ought. You think He’s holding out on you; that you will

Jesus rides towards that day we call Good, riding into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday and thereby filling and fulfilling Solomon’s coronation and reign. Even so, it is right that we hear about and think about that day on this day, the First Sunday of Advent, also, because Advent means coming. Jesus’ triumphal entry—His riding to His coronation, crucifixion, and resurrection—His coming is a coming to the rescue of the poor, the meek, the lowly, the troubled, the sad, the sick, and t

Wake, awake, Beloved; the Bridegroom comes, awake! Would that you had the urgency of heart and mind to be ready for your heavenly Bridegroom, the Lord Christ Jesus, that you have in the pursuing of all the things that you think are so important in this life. Would that you so eagerly awaited the Lord’s return with the same energy and zeal that you store up for earthly festivities. Wake, awake; the Bridegroom comes, awake! Beloved, this is no time to be fooling around with how

The Day will come when the Son of Man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, and He shall sit on the throne of His glory. And all the nations shall be gathered before Him, and He shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats.  And yet, in a very real sense, that separation has already occurred. It occurred at the Cross, for that is where destinies are decided. True, the results will indeed be revealed to all on the La

What is even more striking than the vividly grisly details of Jerusalem’s destruction is what Jesus says about it. He says, “There will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.”  And why this is so striking is because, well, that’s saying a great deal. In effect, Jesus is saying that this event—the destruction of Jerusalem and the bitter demise of its people, of which He prophesied nearly a generation

Now, the kingdom of God is like a King , not  a wedding feast. No, it’s like a   King   who throws a wedding feast for his son.  In other words, the kingdom of God is   not  like a party; it   is , however, like a King who is generous, yet whose patience knows limits: who grows angry with those who disrespect Him; who enacts vengeance and destroys cities. So also, the kingdom of God is like a King who throws out those who would come to the feast and yet will not wear the appr

This Gospel, of Jesus’ healing of the paralytic, is for and about every Christian; it is for you and about you. This Gospel is not only a recounting of an actual event; more importantly, it was recorded for you, that you might recognize that you are one and the same as this poor man.  You are him: you are the sick man, paralyzed and lying on a bed.  For just as he could not raise himself from his sickness and come to Jesus on his own, by his own reason or strength, neither co