We would not expect a Sunday in Lent to be without confrontation, and the Third Sunday in Lent does not disappoint. Lent is the season of the church year in which we are most powerfully reminded that our sin sent Jesus to the cross. The penitential character of Lent comes into stark relief this Sunday as the sacred confronts the profane. God,…

The Propers for the Second Sunday in Lent are filled with promise and hope for the suffering. In the Epistle, Paul explains how “we rejoice in our sufferings” (Rom 5:3). All this hope in suffering is keyed by the Gospel: Jesus bears His cross to accomplish redemption, and His disciples bear theirs as well (Mk 8:31, 34). Welcome to all our brothers…

The First Sunday in Lent begins this penitential season of preparation for Holy Week and Easter with the account of a test by God and temptations by the devil. The traditional Hymn of the Day, “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God,” proclaims Jesus Christ as the victor over Satan, the old evil foe. We welcome all to God’s house today! Link to…

The transfiguration is a momentous event in the life and ministry of the Lord Jesus. It has been celebrated distinctively by Lutherans on the last Sunday before Ash Wednesday (which has been the conclusion of the Epiphany season) since Reformation times. The Old Testament Reading of the day (Ex 34:29–35) is logically connected to significant aspects of the appointed Gospel (Mk 9:2–9)—both…