Luke 23:27–31 describes a part of Jesus’ journey on what has been called the Via Dolorosa: “And there followed him a great multitude of the people and of women who were mourning and lamenting for him. [28] But turning to them Jesus said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and…
“For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, [24] and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, ‘This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ [25] In the same…
As we approach the end of another church year, the focus turns to Jesus’ return at the end of the world. In Luke, chapter 21, verses 5-32, Jesus urges us to do two things to prepare for his return: watch the signs that will precede the end and watch ourselves to be sure we are…
Martin Luther was born on November 10, 1483. His birth went unnoticed by the world. But by the time he died in 1546, Martin Luther had become the most well-known person in Europe. The Reformation he ignited brought about profound changes in the church and in society. But how would the church be different if…
As we get farther and farther away from the previous century, there are more people who don’t believe the terrible things that Adolf Hitler and the Nazis did to the Jews during World War II. In some cases people are not even being taught about the Holocaust. In other cases they are being told that…
The basic idea behind this motiff is that, just as grapes are crushed in a winepress to produce wine, Jesus was crushed on the cross outside the city of Jerusalem to erase all of God the Father’s wrath because of our sins. Jesus is not nailed to the cross. Instead the cross lays on Jesus’…
A young woman was stunned by the conditions of the troops when she visited the Jockey Hallow encampment during the Revolutionary War. Ten thousand unwashed, poorly-clothed, poorly-fed, American soldiers were packed into drafty log huts during the bitter cold winter. She brought up the topic of the poor conditions of the troops with one of…
The appointed Gospel reading for All Saints Day is Matthew 5:1-12, a passage that is often referred to as “The Beatitudes”: [1] Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. [2] And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: [3] “Blessed are the…
Mirror Neurons 