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…
Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people. [7] And he said with a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come, and worship him who…
He taught me a new way to detach stamps from envelopes. As a boy I had been taught to soak the envelopes in water for several minutes until the stamps came off. He showed be how, instead of soaking them, you spray the stamps with a citrus cleanser and they come off almost immediately. We…
The federal government just finished re-naming over 650 of its properties. Why? Because each of these places had in its name a derogatory term for a Native American woman. And the job isn’t finished yet. In 2021 the Derogatory Geographic Names Task Force was established whose job it is to find and eliminate all derogatory name…
The Gilded Age was a time between 1870 to 1900, roughly from the end of the Civil War to the turn of the century, when the rich were very, very rich. The railroads and other industries had made men very rich and their wives tried to outdo each other in spending extravagantly. Just being rich…
Luke 15:2: “And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” These words of the scribes and Pharisees are really all that is needed to be said before celebrations of the Lord’s Supper. Whenever we celebrate the Lord’s Supper it should be clear to all that those who…
“I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore, choose life, that you and your offspring may live.” (Deuteronomy 30:19-20) For Lutherans when it comes to the topic of choice we typically have a very narrow focus. The only choice that…
Some churches hang colorful flags or banners on their buildings to show their inclusiveness. These emblems show that all people, regardless of their place in society, are welcome. This is admirable but if they already have a cross on their church is it necessary? The cross of Jesus Christ the most inclusive symbol there is:…
Even with the new James Webb Space Telescope we still have the same problem Abraham had; we can’t even begin to count all the stars in the universe.
Text: Jeremiah 23:29: “Is not my word like fire, declares the LORD, and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces? God’s word is like fire, like a hammer that breaks rocks in pieces. This reminds us that God often waits to act against evil. God’s power is so great that he does not want…
Mirror Neurons 