The season of Lent, as the name reminds, is the season of lengthening days, when light overrides darkness. The obvious evidence, which nature provides, foretells the final triumph when the darkness of Good Friday will yield to the glorious sun of Easter morning. Already this Fourth Sunday in Lent, though, exhorts us to “walk as children of light” by seeking what is…
The Lenten battle against sin is intensifying. Last Sunday Jesus spoke to Nicodemus in John 3 about God loving the world. Here in chapter 4, that declaration is made more concrete with the people of Samaria, who were traditionally rejected by the Jews. The readings for this Sunday contrast the grumbling and unbelief of the people of Israel when they need water…
The Gospel in a nutshell (John 3:16). That’s what we know this verse from St. John’s Gospel as. It is, in many respects, the simplest and clearest expression of who Jesus is and what He came to earth to do. Quite simply, Jesus came to save the world. Save the world from what? Save the world from itself, from Satan, and, most…
The account of the fall in Genesis 3 is part of the seamless narrative not only of the Book of Genesis but of the whole Torah delivered by Yahweh through Moses. This text sets the stage for the rest of Scripture, revealing the need for redemption and promising that redemption. Link to Service video on Vimeo Link to service bulletin
Transfiguration Sunday brings the Epiphany season to a close. It capstones the revelation that Jesus is the Son of God from eternity. That serves as transition from Epiphany to Lent. Epiphany manifested the glory of Christ; Lent will be a penitential season calling us to repentance and faith. Faith looks to its only hope: Jesus Christ alone. Confidence in this is grounded…
Epiphany is wrapping up, and the Lenten journey to the cross will soon begin. Because we rehearse these events every year, we can feel we already know this story. However, if we think we know it, we do not know it as we ought. When it comes to God’s Word, we can be so arrogant and so forgetful. Let us turn to…
Like every season of the church year, Epiphany is about the cross. God has manifested His saving work in “Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (Epistle, 1 Cor 2:2). The particular focus of this week is the difference between the unregenerate and the regenerate, between those who are only “natural” and the “spiritual” who have been enlightened by the Spirit through the message…
The season of Epiphany is, of course, the revealing, the epiphany, of Jesus—God’s now-incarnate eternal Son revealed as Christ and Lord of all. But this Sunday the propers might seem to be focusing on man: how the blessed man is poor in spirit, meek, merciful (the Beatitudes, Gospel, Mt 5:1–12. Old Testament Reading, Micah 6:8). In fact, the man of God does…
Today we celebrate and thank God for our Lutheran school here in Bremen and all who have attended over the years. We are thankful for all the teachers and pastors who have taught here at St. Paul’s. We also want to say thank you to all the parents who send their children to our Preschool and Day School. May God continue to…
Now John speaks: “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (Jn 1:29). Not just the sins of Israel. “It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel; I will make you as a light for the nations, that…