Reflections

June 12, 2026Today's Reading: Catechism: The Lord's Prayer - 4th PetitionDaily Lectionary: Proverbs 10:1-23; Proverbs 11:1-12:28; John 14:1-17What does this mean? God certainly gives daily bread to everyone without our prayers, even to all evil people, but we pray in this petition that God would lead us to realize this and to receive our daily bread with thanksgiving. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.We need to be reminded to be grateful. Ouch. A quick ‘thanks,' is sufficient, right? I do have other things to get done - I have money to make, groceries to buy, errands to run…I'm taking care of my life! Hmmm. Maybe this Petition is worth some time and reflection. In the Lord's Prayer, we are given the Petition ‘Give us this day our daily bread.' This is not some type of magic incantation that allows pizza to softly float down to our dinner tables. No, this is a reminder that God DOES give us what we need. Our daily needs are met. Furthermore, none of this is done with our control or effort. As Luther explains, God certainly gives without our prayers.We are given this Petition so we might pause and reflect on God's character. God is merciful, abundant, and loving. He gives more than we can even imagine. He had a plan for our salvation before the world even existed. He certainly provides for our needs of body and soul. When we are tempted to think about our own efforts in ‘meeting our needs,' we should repent. We must remember that it is God who provides the sunshine, air, dirt, and seeds that will one day be wheat for flour (for that pizza!). It is God who equips farmers, truck drivers, and store owners - all those who help us find the food that is necessary for sustaining our bodies (which are also Gifts from God). And this Petition reminds us that God gives us ALL that is needed for our body and life - not *only* the food that we daily receive. Indeed, this part of the Lord's Prayer is a powerful and humbling reminder that God is in control, and this is good. God knows our needs and meets them - without our asking, our assistance, or even our thanks. We get to reflect on all that God gives and all that He is, and then give Him thanksgiving. We are reminded of who He is: the One who sent His own perfect Son to die in the place of sinners. The one who defeated sin, death, and the power of the devil for us. The one who calls us His own in Baptism and feeds us Jesus' Body and Blood. Yes! We have so much to give thanks for - we have a generous and loving God! In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.God makes the clouds rain goodness, The deserts bloom and spring, The hills leap up in gladness, The valleys laugh and sing. God fills them with His fullness, All things with large increase; He crowns the year with blessing, With plenty and with peace. (LSB 893:2)Deac. Sarah Longmire, Curricula Curator for Higher Things and Director of Family Life at St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Lee's Summit, MO.

June 11, 2026Today's Reading: Mark 6:7-13Daily Lectionary: Proverbs 9:1-18; John 13:21-38“And he called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits.” (Mark 6:7) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Disciples are followers of Jesus - literally. Before Jesus' ascension, the disciples went where He went. They did what He did. He taught, they listened. In this account in Mark, Jesus sends out the Twelve apostles. These men were disciples, but being an apostle meant that they were sent out to teach and to preach. They were given authority by Jesus and were given directions by Jesus. Today, we remember the Apostle Barnabas. This is the guy who ‘vouched' for Saul. In the early church, after Jesus ascended into heaven, there was a lot of persecution. You may remember that Saul was a high-ranking Jewish leader who had made it his mission to hunt disciples of Jesus and punish them, even to death. And yet, Jesus comes to Saul and confronts him about his sins. Jesus calls Saul to be one of His disciples—and even more—to be an apostle. Saul (later named Paul) was going to preach about Jesus; he was called out of darkness into God's light. We sinners tend to be skeptical; the disciples in the early church did too. Did Paul *really* meet Jesus? Was he *actually* a believer? The disciples in Jerusalem, at the time of Paul's conversion, were afraid. Paul wants to join these disciples, but they don't believe him. However, Barnabas is not going to stay silent. Barnabas greets Paul, brings him to the other disciples, and witnesses to what he knows happened. He teaches his fellow disciples (and apostles) the truth that Jesus does indeed change hearts and minds. He declares that Jesus did, in fact, call Paul to be an apostle. You probably aren't an apostle, but you are a disciple of Jesus. You get to continue learning from His Word, receiving His Gifts, and witnessing about what is true. In your Baptism, you are safely tucked into God's family, and nothing can take that away. From that place, then, you can be bold to speak about Jesus. You can declare that He does forgive sins, He does keep His promises, and He is the Savior of the world. You can be like Barnabas - speak of what is true and real. Point to Jesus' Death and Resurrection. Speak of yourself as a redeemed sinner. Speak to the neighbors you have been given - in your school, your home, your neighborhood, your community - and tell the Good News of Jesus for sinners. You get to be a disciple; you receive God's good Gifts, and you get to then share His love with all that you meet. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.How clear is our vocation, Lord, When once we heed your call: To live according to Your Word And daily learn, refreshed, restored, That You are Lord of all, And will not let us fall. (LSB 853:1) Deac. Sarah Longmire, Curricula Curator for Higher Things and Director of Family Life at St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Lee's Summit, MO.

June 10, 2026Today's Reading: John 13:1-20Daily Lectionary: Proverbs 8:22-36; John 13:1-20“Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.” (John 13:1) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Do you get anxious before a big event? Maybe you get really excited; all those butterflies of anticipation are fluttering in your stomach. You have a big test, a big game, a fancy dinner, or a presentation… something big is coming, and you know that it matters. Sometimes, in our desire to focus, we forget about other people or other things. Washing the dishes? Later, I have a paper to finish. Walking the dog? Later, I have an important dinner to get ready for. We focus on our next big moment and nothing else. In today's reading, Jesus knows what is coming; His ‘big event' is His crucifixion. This has been the plan of salvation since before the world was created, and now the time had come. And yet, who is His focus? Where does He spend His last hours before death? Jesus “loved them to the end.” Jesus, knowing all that is about to happen, stays focused on those whom He loves. In John 13, Jesus washes the feet of the disciples. He shows, yet again, what it means to love sacrificially. He shows what it means to love and care for your neighbors. He continues to teach and to serve His disciples. He knows what His next hours are going to include, but He continues to love. He teaches the disciples that this is an example to them (and to us) - that we are to serve others. Jesus says in John 13:20 that, ‘truly, truly, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.' You have received the one whom Jesus sends - you have been given the Holy Spirit! In your Baptism, you are made clean and declared holy; you are covered by Jesus and bear God's name. You are one of Jesus' own. On the cross, it was for you that Jesus willingly hung and willingly died. In the Resurrection, it is you that He brings into new life and unto life eternal. You are one for whom Jesus died. You are loved. And Jesus will indeed love you to the end. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.“Yes, Father, yes, most willingly I'll bear what You command Me. My will conforms to Your decree, I'll do what You have asked Me.” O wondrous Love, what have you done! The Father offers up His Son, Desiring our salvation. O Love, how strong You are to save! You lay the One into the grave Who built the earth's foundation. (LSB 438:3) Deac. Sarah Longmire, Curricula Curator for Higher Things and Director of Family Life at St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Lee's Summit, MO.

June 9, 2026Today's Reading: 1 John 4:16-21Daily Lectionary: Proverbs 8:1-21; John 12:36b-50“We love because he first loved us.” (1 John 4:19)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.I have to admit, I like to be first. In school, I liked it when I was done with my homework first, and I liked it when I ran a race and got first place. Even now, I like it when my favorite team gets first. I want to win. I want to be the best, and being first is definitely the best. And yet, this short verse in 1 John says that someone else was first. This verse says that I can love, can know love, and can give love only because someone else did it first. This verse says that He loved me and He loved you. This verse is clear - I wasn't the first to love. When I stop and think about it, this verse tells me that being first isn't really the point. When I admitted to liking to be first, to always winning, I was also admitting that my mindset is selfish. If I am winning, then everyone around me has to be losing. I'm not thinking about them; I am only thinking about me. Maybe I don't know what love is, because that definitely isn't love. These verses in 1 John teach us about what love is - about who love is. It isn't about winning, and it isn't about me (or you) being the best. Instead, love is sacrificial. Love is reassuring and is hope without fear. There is no competition in love. God is love. Love lays down His life so that others (sinners…you…me) can live. Love is given freely and is good. Love looks like something - it looks like Jesus on the cross. Love looks like an empty tomb. Love looks like God's Word and water. Love is in, with, and under Bread and Wine. God's plan to love is shown in the mercies and grace that are ours every day. It's a good thing that God loved us first. It's a good thing that before we were born or could even think about what love is and how we might have it, God loved and planned for our rescue. Now, I can know and you can know that love is resting in God, in His promises, and in His work, not our own. Then, out of that love, comes love for our neighbors. We get to look around, not at ourselves, and see the needs of those around us. We get to rejoice in the love we have and then share it with others. God loved you first, and that is very good. And, now you get to love too. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Jesus loves me! This I know, For the Bible tells me so. Little ones to Him belong; They are weak, but He is strong. Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me! The Bible tells me so. (LSB 588:1)Deac. Sarah Longmire, Curricula Curator for Higher Things and Director of Family Life at St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Lee's Summit, MO.

June 8, 2026Today's Reading: Genesis 15:1-6Daily Lectionary: Proverbs 5:1-23; Proverbs 6:1-7:27; John 12:20-36a“But Abram said, ‘O Lord God, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?'” (Genesis 15:2)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Perhaps Abram has a point. At age 75, he was called by God to leave his home and travel to a new land, but life has been fraught with problems. There was a famine, so Abram found himself in Egypt, where that (first) awkward encounter between the Pharaoh and Sarai happened. And then, Abram has to rescue his nephew Lot from war in Sodom and Gomorrah. What about the promises of being a great nation, being blessed, and having his name be great? Ever since Abram listened to God, it has been one issue after another; there doesn't seem to be any follow-through on those promises. In today's reading, God is making promises again: Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” But Abram pushes back: But God…what will you give me? I don't even have an heir of my own!Here's the thing. We sinners like to develop our own timelines and our own measuring sticks. Abram wanted those promises fulfilled now. He wanted what was coming to him. He wanted proof and assurance that this was going to be worth it. Abram is having doubts; he and Sarai hadn't had a child yet - how could they possibly be the great nation that God had promised? Abram doubts. You and I doubt too. Why is my life full of suffering? Why is the Christian life hard? When will I receive what God has promised? The rest of today's reading is the comfort we need. Abram expresses his doubts, and God hears them! God's character is one of mercy and patience. While Abram had no ‘right' to question God or worry about what was going to happen, God met Abram's question with assurances. God gave Abram more promises - Abram, you will have your own son. You will have more descendants than stars in the sky. And even more amazing - when Abram believes these words from God, God counts his belief as righteousness! What about for you? What about when you ask questions, worry, and doubt? God answers you, too. Remember your Baptism. You are named as a Child of God and covered by Jesus. Go to the Divine Service and hear God's Word of Law and Gospel for you. Be reminded that you are a sinner - one for whom Jesus bled and died. Rejoice that you are a saint and that Jesus' resurrection is yours also. Take and eat Jesus' Body and Blood. Believe in the One who always keeps His promises and always hears your prayers. God is faithful.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.God gives me my days of gladness, And I will Trust Him still When He sends me sadness, God is good; His love attends me Day by day, Come what may, Guides me and defends me. (LSB 756:3) Deac. Sarah Longmire, Curricula Curator for Higher Things and Director of Family Life at St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Lee's Summit, MO.

June 7, 2026Today's Reading: Luke 16:19-31Daily Lectionary: Proverbs 4:1-27; John 12:1-19“He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.'” (Luke 16:31) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.At first glance, today's reading seems to suggest that life is the luck of the draw. The rich guy had it good during his earthly life, while Lazarus had it rough. And, because it is only fair then, the rich guy has to suffer in eternity, but Lazarus gets to be in comfort. It seems to make sense, right? It's only fair.And yet, this isn't about being poor or rich. This isn't a ‘fair picture' of who gets to have what. Instead, this teaches about the lie of independence and the idolatry of wanting to be your own god. This speaks to the heart of every sinner. The rich man had nice clothes and plenty of food; he lived lavishly. To us sinners who love control,  comfort, and excess, this sounds great! Lazarus, by contrast, suffers continuously. He wishes for crumbs. And yet, all he has are the dogs. When death comes, Lazarus is brought to heaven, and the rich man suffers in torment. Ephesians 2 teaches us that it is, “by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing, it is a gift from God.” We learn that Lazarus had faith. He trusted in His Savior, even in suffering. In Hades, the rich man still wants to control his destiny. He wants a drop of water - he wants some relief; he is told no. He begs that Lazarus be raised from the dead to give his brothers a warning about this eternity of torment. But, his brothers already have the Law - they have the words of Moses and the Prophets. If they will not repent when the Law is taught, they will have no use for someone being risen from the dead. Repent, dear sinner. Do not be deceived by independence, control, or the ability to chase your desires. God's Word of Law is for your good. It reminds you that you are a sinner. Remember that in your Baptism, your Old Adam daily drowns and dies; the New Man daily rises and celebrates the boundaries given by God. The New Man daily rejoices, even in suffering, because even in trials there is hope. Cling to the promises of Jesus, who has risen from the dead for you. In excess and in suffering, you need God's Law and His Gospel. You need to be reminded of your sin and your dependence on God. Rejoice in that reminder - for you have a God who does not spare His only, perfect Son, but abandons Him on the cross for you. You have a Risen Savior who daily forgives your sins and meets your needs. You are not without hope. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.O God, the strength of all who trust in You, mercifully accept our prayers; and because through the weakness of our mortal nature we can do no good thing, grant us Your grace to keep Your Commandments that we may please You in both will and deed; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. Deac. Sarah Longmire, Curricula Curator for Higher Things and Director of Family Life at St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Lee's Summit, MO.

June 6, 2026Today's Reading: Introit for Trinity 1 - Psalm 13:1-4; antiphon: Psalm 13:5-6Daily Lectionary: Proverbs 3:5-24; John 11:38-57“How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me? Consider and answer me, O Lord my God; light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death, lest my enemy say, ‘I have prevailed over him,' lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken. But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, because he has dealt bountifully with me.” (Psalm 13:1-6)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.If you read the Psalms carefully, you find some amazing things. For example, you find what praise is. You see that it is not just saying “I praise You!,” it is also talking about the good God that He is and the good things He has done. You also see the writers reflect the whole gamut of human emotion and experience. You find expressions of happiness. You find expressions of sorrow. You find expressions of dismay. In Psalm 13, we have this dismay. Obviously, the psalmist experienced the feeling that God wasn't still there. He felt like God was turning His face away from him and letting evil people take over. He felt like things were so bad, he was going to die. As a note, this psalmist is King David, so it seems this is one of those times where David is on the run, afraid that the person he's running from is going to catch up and kill him. Who? It doesn't matter. Why? Because the point is the worry that God isn't there. The worry is that death is at hand.  I can imagine you have been shaken as well. Maybe you haven't worried that you were going to die. Maybe you haven't been pursued by evil people, but you have been shaken. And in that moment, you felt like God had turned away from you. But He hasn't. I can promise you that. How? Because He promises it. He tells you in Hebrews 13:5, “Never will I leave you nor forsake you.” And you can be sure this is true because any forsaking you might deserve, Jesus took that for you on the cross when He cried out, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” Your sin does deserve forsaking, but you have been washed in the blood of the lamb who was forsaken for you. Now God will not leave you or forsake you. Therefore, you can trust in God's steadfast love. You can rejoice in His salvation. You can sing to the Lord who has dealt bountifully with you, just like David in the Psalm. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Lord, in the midst of hardship, You promise never to leave me nor forsake me. Bless me to trust in your steadfast love for you have dealt bountifully with me in Jesus. Amen.Rev. Matthew Zickler, pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Western Springs, IL.

June 5, 2026Today's Reading: John 11:17-37Daily Lectionary: Proverbs 1:8-33; John 11:17-37“I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.” (John 11:25-26)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.If you've been to a Lutheran Funeral, you have likely heard those words. In the Funeral order, the pastor speaks the words, the congregation speaks the Nunc Dimittis (Lord, now you let your servant go in peace), and then the pastor repeats them. What a blessed comfort. Jesus is the resurrection and the life.  Of course, as Jesus said these words, He proved how true they were by raising Lazarus from the tomb just moments after speaking them. Lazarus had been sick, and the people came to tell Jesus so that He could heal the poor man. Jesus dawdled, Lazarus died. And now Martha, to whom Jesus said this confession, calls Jesus on his delay. “Lord if you had been here my brother wouldn't have died.” “Lord if you had come when we called you, I wouldn't be in this sorrow right now.” “Lord, if only you had done what we asked, this would all be a lot easier.”  But then Jesus comes to the tomb of Lazarus, and what does He do? First, He weeps. Why? He's already told Martha who He is. He's already made the point to Martha that He's going to raise Lazarus. What is this? It's sorrow at death. Death isn't the way it's supposed to be. Death is the consequence of sin and Man not doing what God has told him to do. So death hurts. And Jesus feels it in that moment. He feels it to His core. As I've spoken those words at funerals, I've spoken them in the hearing of loved ones who feel death to their core. I've spoken them to children who have lost parents who have been suffering for years and so are relieved, but still hurt to their core. I've spoken them to parents who lost children far, far too soon, and were rocked to their core. And in all of the cases, the words were still true. This Man who called Lazarus from the tomb entered the tomb for us that first Good Friday, carrying the burden of our sins to that tomb so that He could leave them there on the First Easter, and we could have victory over death by His resurrection.  Christian, when death hurts you to your core, know that it is defeated. Christ is the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Him, though he die, yet shall he live, and whoever lives and believes in Him will never die.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Christ, the life of all the living, Christ the death of death our foe, Who, Thyself for me once giving, To the darkest depths of woe; Through thy sufferings, death, and merit, I eternal life inherit, Thousand, thousand thanks shall be, Dearest Jesus, unto Thee! (LSB 420:1)Rev. Matthew Zickler, pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Western Springs, IL.

June 4, 2026Today's Reading: Catechism: The Lord's Prayer 3rd PetitionDaily Lectionary: Ecclesiastes 12:1-14; John 11:1-16God's will is done when He breaks and hinders every evil plan and purpose of the devil, the world, and our sinful nature, which do not want us to hallow God's name or let His kingdom come; and when He strengthens and keeps us firm in His Word and faith until we die. This is His good and gracious will. (The Small Catechism, The Lord's Prayer, The Third Petition)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Those are words you hopefully speak daily at least. But when it comes to the will of God, do you actually reflect on it? How often do you act or even pray for things without reflection on God's will? It's pretty easy to go through our day-to-day activities without thinking much about what God's desire is for us. Or we can overcomplicate it. We can pray about every minute detail as though if we make a left turn instead of a right turn because we left our house at 8:35 instead of 8:37, we have deviated from God's will and now He must be angry with us.  But what is God's will? As Luther explains it so well, he shows that it relates to breaking and hindering every evil plan and purpose of the devil, the world, and our sinful nature. And what do these enemies do that is deviant from God's will? They seek that we would not hallow His Name, nor let His Kingdom Come. They seek that the Word of God would not be taught in its truth and purity, and that we as Christians would not lead holy lives according to the Commandments. Likewise, they seek that God's Spirit would not bring faith in God's Word to those people in order that they would lead holy lives here in time and there in eternity.  So what are we praying for? We are praying for God's defense of us in the faith. We are praying that God would guard and keep us from the devil, who would seek to destroy our faith, and our own sinful temptations, which would be drawn to unholy living contrary to God's will revealed in the Ten Commandments.  So, how does God work this protection? Thankfully, by how He operates in the world. However, we can certainly be assured of protection in His Word. It is in that Word where He continues to speak faith into ears, to feed faith to us in His Supper. By these, He strengthens us in our daily struggles with sin, and gives us rest always in the forgiveness of the cross of Christ. Amen.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Your gracious will on earth be done, as it is done before Your throne, That patiently we may obey, Throughout our lives all that You say. Curb flesh and blood and every ill That sets itself against Your will. Amen. (LSB 766:4)Rev. Matthew Zickler, pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Western Springs, IL.

June 3, 2026Today's Reading: John 10:22–42Daily Lectionary: Ecclesiastes 11:1-10; John 10:22-42“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. I and the Father are one.'” (John 10:27-30)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.“I and the Father are one.” What does Jesus mean by those words? As we are reflecting on the Triune Nature of our God, is this one of those places where Jesus is pointing us to the reality that He and the Father are homoousias, one in substance? Well, substance is what a thing is. Jesus says that He and the Father are one, so just by the words alone, we have to understand that Jesus is talking about their unity of substance.  But as He is talking about that unity, what is He talking about? He's talking about security. He is telling His people that they are His sheep and He is their Shepherd. He is telling them that as He is their Shepherd, they are protected and secure. They are secure because no one can snatch them out of His Hand. In fact, the Father has given these sheep to Jesus, and no one can snatch them out of the Father's Hand. At this point, if we think too hard about the unity of substance, about the oneness of the Trinity, we can get really confused. How can the Father have a hand and the Son have a different hand if they're one? Back to that question of how can one be three? Idunno. But in this case, that's not the main point. The main point is to tell you, His beloved sheep, that you have no need to fear. You are safe in the hands of your God. You are safe in the hands of the Son. You are safe in the hands of the Father. Which hands, the Father's or the Son's? It doesn't matter, you're safe. Your One God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit cares for you, guards you, and protects you.  You can see this in the Son, who is the Good Shepherd who laid down His life on the cross to defend you from the wolves of sin, death, and the devil. You can see it in the Father who sent His Son into this world that you would be saved. You can see it in the work of the Spirit who has called you by the Gospel, enlightened you with His gifts, sanctified, and kept you in the true faith. This God has pursued you with His rod and staff, and He has picked you up in His ever-loving hands. The whole world around you might appear to fall away, but this unified God is working monolithically to save, guard, and keep you. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Have no fear, little flock, for the Father has chosen to give you the Kingdom, have no fear little flock! (LSB 735:1)Rev. Matthew Zickler, pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Western Springs, IL.

June 2, 2026Today's Reading: Romans 11:33-36Daily Lectionary: Ecclesiastes 10:1-20; John 10:1-21“Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!” (Romans 11:33)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.This week is the week of the Holy Trinity. This week we meditate on what is perhaps the most unsearchable things of God. How can God be one and yet also be three? When I was in college, I had some friends who said He couldn't. They said you really have what we would call the Father as God, but then the Son is maybe more than human, but not quite divine—at least not like the Father. Then the Spirit, well, He is sort of just God's activity.  I really wrestled with this. A God who is one and three isn't very logical. And every time I found a verse that I thought really proved that Jesus was God, they had a response. Of course, this whole conversation is just what happened with the Arians at the Council of Nicea in 325 (where we get the Nicene Creed). They said the same thing, that Jesus isn't quite God like the Father. In the end, the Council said that Jesus IS God like the Father. He is homoousias (homo – same, ousias – substance) with the Father. He's of the same divine stuff. But He's also man, too. How does all of that work? I always tell my confirmands that I have a very technical term for that: idunno.  But how, then, did I become convinced that Nicea was correct? Ultimately, it was John 8:58: “Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.'” At first, it was just because Jesus said that He existed before Abraham that I found it convincing. However, it was pointed out to me that 'I AM' is the Name that God tells Moses to call Him at the burning bush. “God said to Moses, ‘I AM who I AM… Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I AM has sent me to you.' ” This meant that Jesus was saying that He was (is) that I AM that had spoken to Moses at the bush. But here He was in human flesh. And in that human flesh, He was going to the cross to die for sins. A God-man (that is, 100% human and 100% divine, not 100% mix of human and divine), dying for sins so that we could be saved. From there, I could see the Holy Spirit was also God. This, after all, was the Name into which I was baptized: the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit; one Name, three persons.  How does that work? I still dunno. God's ways are unsearchable. But they are good. I can see it in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Blessed Lord, Your ways are unsearchable. Give us faith in all circumstances to trust in you, until we live before You eternally, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.Rev. Matthew Zickler, pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Western Springs, IL.

June 1, 2026Today's Reading: Isaiah 6:1-7Daily Lectionary: Ecclesiastes 9:1-17; John 9:24-41“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” (Isaiah 6:3)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.It can be easy to read Isaiah chapter six and gloss over just how intense the vision of Isaiah would have been. As the Lord called Isaiah to speak His Word, there is a lot going on. There are the Seraphim with their wings and their flying. There is the shaking of the thresholds at the voice of the One calling. There is the angel with the smoke and the coals. But what might have been the most intense was the realization of those words, “Holy, Holy, Holy.”  We don't think of holiness all that much in our day and place. For us, God is sort of a spiritual therapist. He's there for when we might need something. He's sort of in the background, just sort of letting the movie play out as it does. In short, He's a buddy who's there when we need Him, but otherwise He just sort of lets us be.  I don't think that's how Isaiah felt standing in the presence of the angels and the company of heaven. I don't think that was the thought floating in his head when the angel brought the coal. In fact, I know it wasn't. How? Because of Isaiah's own words: “And I said: ‘Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!'” Isaiah wasn't excited to see his buddy. He was nervous. Why? Because he knew of his sin. He knew of the sin of his people. He knew that this Lord of hosts, this Yahweh Sabaoth, was holy. He was not sin. He was perfection. He was the perfection that no imperfection can stand before. And so Isaiah was scared. He needed atonement.  But that's what the angel brought to Isaiah. He brought it from the altar of the Lord Himself. This thrice holy God is good and perfect. But He is loving. This Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, He is holy and hates sin. But He is loving and desires people to have the cleansing from sin that they would become the objects of His love. You, Christian, are the object of His love. He has sent Jesus to the cross to bear your unholiness. He has sent His Spirit into your heart through the Word, through the promise of Baptism, that you would know that you are His beloved. He has taken your unholiness and poured out His wrath against it on the cross, that He could give you His holiness that you could stand before Him in His heavenly temple forever. Thanks be to God.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Holy, Holy, Holy Lord, God of Sabaoth. Heaven and earth are full of thy glory. Hosanna. Save us. Bless us with your holiness, that we would ever remain your beloved and holy children. AmenRev. Matthew Zickler, pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Western Springs, IL.

May 31, 2026Today's Reading: John 3:1-15 (16-17)Daily Lectionary: Numbers 35:9-30; Acts 1:1-7:60; Luke 24:28-53“Jesus answered, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” (John 3:5-6)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.When Jesus speaks of a second birth, Nicodemus is quite confused. And if we are honest, we can understand why. His response makes sense; after all, it's not as though someone can enter a second time into his mother's womb. But what does Jesus really mean? He explains it. He means that this second birth is different. Yes, the first birth was from the womb of the mother, but that was the birth of flesh from flesh. But is the problem that this was the birth of the human body from a human body? Not in itself. The birth of flesh from flesh, yes, occurs in the human body, but the problem isn't that body. What is it? It's the sinful flesh. It's the draw to sin. It's the guilt of our first parents. It's our agreement with that sin every time we ourselves sin. Every thought we have contrary to love. Every doubt. Every hateful inclination. Every action opposed to love of God and neighbor. All of it is this sinful flesh. And what does this sinful flesh beget? What does it give birth to? More sin. But ultimately death. As James says, “But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.” (James 1:14-15) This is where we see the need for this new life. It is the need of the new life begotten not of sinful flesh, but of the Spirit. You might know that in Greek, the language the Gospel of John was first written in, that the word for Spirit is the same as the word for wind and also for breath. So the Spirit breathes the wind of life into the sinful flesh. He brings that flesh out of death. How? Because He brings the death of Jesus, hanged on the cross for sin, to that sinful flesh, and raises it to new life in Jesus' resurrection. And He has done this for you in the waters of Baptism. As the waters were poured over you in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit gave you new birth in the death and resurrection of Jesus. The Father, who lifted up His Son on the cross, that whoever believes in Him would not perish but have eternal life, through the Spirit breathed new birth into you that you would have life as a child of God. That blessed truth guard and keep you in the newness of life in Him to the eternal Kingdom of Jesus. Amen.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Blessed God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, thank you for the new birth which you have given to me in the waters of baptism. Guard and keep me in that life until I walk with you raised in the Spirit on the Last Day, as You live and reign, One God, now and forever. Amen.Rev. Matthew Zickler, pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Western Springs, IL.

May 30, 2026Today's Reading: Introit for Trinity - Psalm 8:1-2a, 3-5; antiphon: Liturgical TextDaily Lectionary: Numbers 32:1-6, 16-27; Luke 24:1-27Blessèd be the Holy Trinity and the undivided Unity. Let us give glory to him because he has shown his mercy to us. (Antiphon for the Introit on Trinity Sunday) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Tomorrow, we celebrate Trinity Sunday. It's very likely that you'll confess the Athanasian Creed in church tomorrow. The Athanasian Creed describes (in not a few words!) the relationship between the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit – the Three in One and One in Three. And while it may be hard to understand how God can be three Persons in one God, we can believe it by faith, knowing that this is exactly what Jesus has revealed to us. Not only can we believe it, we must believe it. As the creed says, “whoever desires to be saved must, above all, hold the catholic faith…And the catholic faith is this, that we worship one God in Trinity and Trinity in Unity.” There is no salvation without faith in the Trinity, because there is no God beside Him. Which also means there is no salvation apart from Him.And that's really where the rubber hits the road. We must believe and trust that God is triune, but we do not come to that faith by learning about God's omnipotence or His eternal nature, or even that He is Three in One. We come to faith through the Gospel, by hearing what God has done for us in Christ. In fact, I would argue that it is through the Gospel that we learn about the Trinity most clearly. Perhaps that's why Trinity Sunday was placed here at the end of the festival half of the Church Year. The year began with Advent and the Christmas season, in which we are reminded that the Father's love for His creation compelled Him to send His Son, the second Person of the Trinity, to become flesh and blood for us. Next came the Epiphany season in which we heard of Christ's Baptism, fasting, temptation, and Transfiguration – all things He underwent on our behalf to fulfil God's will for our salvation. Then came Lent and Easter, which focus our attention on Jesus' suffering and dying to atone for our sins, and His victorious defeat of death and the devil. Finally, we celebrated the Ascension and Pentecost - Christ's enthronement at the Right Hand of the Father, and the giving of the Holy Spirit who creates and sustains faith in us so that we can believe in Jesus and be saved. Only after learning of all these things that God has done to have us as His people can we truly see who God is. That is, we see beyond the outward characteristics of God (His omnipotence, omniscience, eternal nature, etc.) and we begin to see God's very heart. We see from the Gospel that God, the Three in One, is more than a mysterious power in the heavens, but is in fact our loving Lord, united in nature and essence as well as in our life and salvation. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Almighty God, our heavenly Father, because of Your tender love toward us sinners You have given us Your Son that, believing in Him, we might have everlasting life. Continue to grant us Your Holy Spirit that we may remain steadfast in this faith to the end and finally come to life everlasting; through Jesus Christ, our Lord.Rev. Aric Fenske, Executive Director of Lutherans for Life.

May 29, 2026Today's Reading: Acts 2:1-21Daily Lectionary: Numbers 27:12-23; Luke 23:26-56And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.(Act 2:21)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit descended upon the apostles, and they went out and began to preach the Gospel in languages that they'd never learned. That's amazing! Not just the fact that they instantaneously learned new languages, but the fact that they went out and spoke at all! Remember, these are the same guys who had locked themselves in a room because they were afraid of the Jews (Jn. 20:19). They were barely willing to be seen in public, and now they're standing in a huge crowd proclaiming that Jesus was God and that He had risen from the dead. What changed? It wasn't the ability to speak new languages that gave them this newfound courage. It was their faith in Jesus. That's what the Holy Spirit does; He creates faith in Jesus. The apostles had spent three years with Jesus. They watched Jesus do countless miracles. They listened to Him preach dozens of sermons. They even saw Him alive after He had died. They knew the facts, but none of it made any sense to them. They didn't believe it. But then the Holy Spirit came and did exactly what Jesus promised He would. He brought to their remembrance everything Jesus had said to them (John 14:26), and guided them “into all truth” (John 16:13). Their hearts and minds were opened, and they believed. Now, they all had confidence that since Jesus had risen from the dead, their sins had been washed away and everlasting life was theirs. Which meant there was nothing left to fear, not even death itself. And they were so excited about this that they immediately went out and began preaching the Gospel, because they wanted everyone else to have the same confidence they had.  And that's how the Holy Spirit comes to you today. He comes through the apostolic preaching of the Gospel. When your pastor preaches to you, the Holy Spirit descends on you, just like He did with the apostles. And as He comes to you, He doesn't just teach you the facts about Jesus' life and death, He also opens your heart and mind to believe it. Now it's your tongue that is affected. No,  you aren't given the ability to speak in languages you've never learned; you have been given the ability to do something even greater – call upon the name of the Lord and be saved (Acts 2:21). The Holy Spirit works the same miracle in us that He worked in the Apostles. He takes sinners who “cannot by their own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ our Lord or come to Him,” (SC, 3rd Art.), and He gives us new life by creating faith in our hearts. And by that faith in Jesus, we not only receive eternal salvation, we are emboldened to share this news with others, that they too might call upon the name of the Lord and be saved. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Come, Holy Ghost, Creator blest, And make our hearts Your place of rest; Come with Your grace and heav'nly aid, And fill the hearts which You have made. (LSB 498: 1)Rev. Aric Fenske, Executive Director of Lutherans for Life.

May 28, 2026Today's Reading: Catechism: The Lord's Prayer - 2nd PetitionDaily Lectionary: Numbers 24:1-25; Luke 23:1-25“What does this mean? The kingdom of God certainly comes by itself without our prayer, but we pray in this petition that it may come to us also.How does God's kingdom come? God's kingdom comes when our heavenly Father gives us His Holy Spirit, so that by His grace we believe His holy Word and lead godly lives here in time and there in eternity.” (Small Catechism- The Lord's Prayer- Second Petition)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.There are really only two kingdoms in the world. One is the kingdom of Satan, whom Jesus calls the “ruler of this world” (John 12:31). The other is the Kingdom of God, the rightful ruler of all creation. The devil's kingdom is defined by pride, selfishness, anger, jealousy, hatred, lust, and every other evil you can think of. God's kingdom is defined by love, righteousness, holiness, goodness, patience, forgiveness, and all that is beautiful. To be in the devil's kingdom is to be in a kingdom of misery and pain, leading to everlasting death with even more misery and pain. To be in God's kingdom is to know true peace, joy, freedom, and blessedness, leading to everlasting life with pleasures beyond description. As our baptismal liturgy reminds us, “we are all conceived and born sinful and are under the power of the devil until Christ claims us as His own,” (LSB, pg. 268). We are born needing to be rescued from the devil's kingdom and brought safely into God's kingdom. And, since our sinful nature is always fighting against God and urging us back into Satan's kingdom, we need God's help to keep us in His Kingdom forevermore. That's what we're praying for in the 2nd Petition of the Lord's Prayer. We are not praying that God would establish His kingdom; Jesus has already taken care of that. By living a perfectly holy life in the flesh and offering Himself as a sacrifice for the sins of the world, Jesus has disarmed the devil, broken down the doors of his phony kingdom, and established His own holy Kingdom. As Luther said, “the Kingdom of God certainly comes by itself.” What we are asking is that God would bring us into His Kingdom that He has established by the blood of Christ. We pray that He would rescue us from the clutches of the devil and make us His children, with all the benefits and blessings thereof. But how does God bring us into His kingdom and make us His children? Through faith in Christ. And how does He create this faith in us? It's just as Paul said, “faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17). The Holy Spirit creates faith by coming to us in God's Word. So we pray that God would continue to send us His Holy Spirit and help us believe His word, so that we would be kept safely in His Kingdom, now and forever. And, since Jesus died for the sins of the whole world and desires that each person come into His kingdom, we pray this Petition not just for ourselves, but for every one of our neighbors. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Draw us to Thee Unceasingly, Into Thy kingdom take us; Let us fore'er Thy glory share, Thy saints and joint heirs make us. (LSB 701: 5)Rev. Aric Fenske, Executive Director of Lutherans for Life.

May 27, 2026Today's Reading: Genesis 11:1-9Daily Lectionary: Numbers 23:4-28; Luke 22:47-71“Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth. And from there the LORD dispersed them over the face of all the earth.” (Genesis 11:9)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.When Noah and his family left the ark, God sent them forth with the blessing He had first given to Adam and Eve; “And you, be fruitful and multiply, increase greatly on the earth and multiply in it,” (Genesis 9:7). Maybe it was just sinful pride or perhaps it was out of fear that God would go back on His promise and send another flood upon the earth, Noah's descendants willfully disobeyed God's directions. Instead of multiplying on the earth, they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth,” (Genesis 11:4).In response to this sinfulness, God came down and confused their language, and He dispersed them across the earth. This event not only explains the origins of the different races and languages on the earth, it also teaches us an important lesson about the nature of sin. Sin always causes division. Sin divides us from God, and it divides us from one another. Whether in sinful pride or because we fail to trust God as we should, every sin we commit is a crime against God or our neighbors, or both. We hurt ourselves and we hurt others. Our relationship with God is strained, and our earthly relationships are also hampered. Many of you have probably seen that sin has the power to destroy even the strongest bonds. Thankfully, on Pentecost, the Holy Spirit shows us that there is something even stronger than sin, with the power to heal broken relationships and bring us back together. That, of course, is the blood of Jesus, which covers all our sins. When the Holy Spirit descended on the Apostles that day, He gave them the ability to preach the Gospel in different languages, so that each person might hear “in our own tongues the mighty works of God” (Acts 2:11). With that, the curse of Babel began to unravel. Today, as the Holy Spirit comes to us through God's Means Of Grace, He cleanses us in the blood of Jesus and reconciles us to God. That means that our relationship with God has been restored. God no longer regards us as enemies, but as His own beloved children (Romans 5:10, Ephesians 2:12-13). And with that, God also begins to reconcile us to each other. In forgiving our sins, the Holy Spirit is both teaching and empowering us to forgive others as we have been forgiven by God (Matthew 6:12, Colossians 3:13), so that we might live as God's children, united and at peace with those around us. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.O God, through Your Son, Jesus Christ, You reconciled the world to Yourself and have given to Your Church the ministry of reconciliation. Strengthened by Your forgiveness, grant that Your whole Church may live in the unity of the Spirit and the bond of peace; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord. Amen.Rev. Aric Fenske, Executive Director of Lutherans for Life.

May 26, 2026Today's Reading: John 10:1-10Daily Lectionary: Numbers 22:21-23:3; Luke 22:24-46“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.In the Small Catechism, Luther names the sources of temptation as the devil, the world, and our own sinful nature (Lord's Prayer, 3rd Petition). Very often (if not always), these temptations to sin come as the promise that your life will be better or more pleasing if you just give in. “You'll have much more fun if you just disobey your parents and lie about what you're really doing.” “If you skip church every weekend to play ball, you could get a scholarship and eventually end up rich and famous. Going to church won't do that for you!” “You and your girlfriend will feel so much better and grow closer together if you quit fighting your urges and give in already.” But Jesus reminds us that these are always empty promises. “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.” The devil, the world, and our sinful natures are nothing more than thieves and robbers, which are opposed to God's will and design for our lives. Instead of making our lives better or more pleasurable, sin will always leave us in pain and misery and drive us away from God. The truly good life isn't found outside of God's word, but in it! “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly,” Jesus promised. (John 10:10). Jesus came, taking on our human likeness, to suffer under the law and die as the payment for our sins so that He could grant us life; life offered in His Word and Sacrament and received by faith. That is true life - the good and blessed life. This is not a promise that we'll get everything we want; an easy life full of riches and fame with little pain or suffering. Remember, the things that our sinful flesh desires are likely to turn us away from God. The abundant life that Jesus promises is a life lived in communion with God. We live with the confidence that our sins are forgiven and that God loves us in Christ. We live with the hope that God cares for us and provides for all our needs of body and soul. We live with the promise that not even death will separate us from the love of Christ. And we live with eyes opened to see the emptiness in the promises of the thieves and robbers, and the goodness of God's will for our lives as expressed in His Commandments. The devil, the world, and our sinful nature will try to convince us that our life in Christ is dull and dreary and that we must run away from God and His Word to find goodness and pleasure. But we know that our life in Christ is an abundant life, full of contentment, peace, and joy.   In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.I am content! My Jesus is my light, My radiant sun of grace. His cheering rays beam blessings forth for all, Sweet comfort, hope, and peace. (LSB 468: 3)Rev. Aric Fenske, Executive Director of Lutherans for Life.

May 25, 2026Today's Reading: John 3:16-21Daily Lectionary: Numbers 22:1-20; Luke 22:1-23“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”  (John 3:17)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Why did Jesus come down from heaven to dwell on the earth? Easy, right? To die for the sins of the world. The familiar words of John 3:16 tell us that. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” But don't stop there! John 3:17 expresses the same thought but in the opposite way. “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved.” Why did Jesus come? Because God doesn't want to condemn the world, He wants to save it! It seems so obvious, and yet the devil, the world, and our own sinful nature are constantly trying to convince us that God is sitting in heaven like a crabby old man just waiting to punish all those who disobey Him. But that couldn't be further from the truth. “God is love” (1 John 4:8), and He wants all people “to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth,” (1 Timothy 2:4). This should be some of the most comforting news we've ever heard! God wants us to be saved. God does not want to condemn you or anybody else, for that matter. I don't know about you, but when I consider my own sins, and the terrible things that I've done and the awful things I've thought, I wonder how God could possibly not condemn me. Yet Jesus reminds us that He lived, suffered, and died precisely so that I wouldn't have to be condemned.  Sadly, not everyone will receive this salvation. Many will choose to live outside of God's love and condemn themselves. But this is not what God wants. He tells us that He has “no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live,”(Ezekiel 33:11).There are people that I know and love who are currently choosing to live without Christ's forgiveness. I'm sure you do too. And while that makes us sad, we can rejoice knowing that God doesn't want them to be condemned. He's given Jesus to the world because He doesn't want them to be condemned. This means that God will continue to reach out to them all with His love through His Means Of Grace, His Word and Sacraments, offering forgiveness and working through the Holy Spirit to bring them to faith. Therefore, we can rest assured that God won't give up on them, just as He hasn't given up on us.  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.God would not have the sinner die; His Son with saving grace is nigh; His Spirit in the Word declares How we in Christ are heaven's heirs. (LSB 571:3)Rev. Aric Fenske, Executive Director of Lutherans for Life.

May 24, 2026Today's Reading: John 14:23-31Daily Lectionary: Numbers 21:10-35; Luke 21:20-38“Jesus answered him, 'If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.'” (John 14:23)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.“Jesus answered him, 'If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.'” (John 14:23)I love Jesus. I'm sure most of you do too. Jesus says that if we love Him, we will keep His words. The word “keep” here doesn't just mean to obey; it also means to treasure or hold on to. If we love Jesus, we will love and obey His Words. That totally makes sense. If we love Jesus, we'll love the things that He tells us to love and cling tightly to them. If we love Jesus, we'll love the things that Jesus loves. If we love Jesus, we'll want to make Him happy and do the things that He wants us to do. This is all most certainly true. So, how's that going for you? Do you always appreciate everything Jesus has said to you? Do you love Jesus' words that say you should forgive that girl at school who's always mean to you? Do you love God's plan for chastity and sexual purity the way that Jesus does? Do you always want to make Jesus happy, or are you preoccupied with making yourself happy? We all know the answers to these questions, and it's not good. But remember, when Jesus promises to send the Holy Spirit to us, He promises that the Spirit will bring to our remembrance all that Jesus has said to us (John 14:26). And Jesus doesn't just preach the Law to us, He gives us the promises of the Gospel! You are washed by Jesus' blood. Your Baptism has joined you to Christ's death and resurrection. The Heavenly Father loves you and has made His home in you. Jesus will feed you with His own Body and Blood to strengthen you unto everlasting life. And all of this is given to you as a Gift, by grace through faith, apart from any merit or worthiness in you. If we love Jesus, we will love these words! In fact, that's pretty much what it means to be a Christian! We love the Gospel, and we live in the peace that Jesus promises, with hearts untroubled by the accusations of the Law (John 14:27). At the same time, in response to the Gospel, the Holy Spirit begins to create in us a love for the other words that Jesus has spoken to us, the words of His holy law, that we might obey them to the pleasure of God.  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.O God, on this day You once taught the hearts of Your faithful people by sending them the light of Your Holy Spirit. Grant us in our day by the same Spirit to have a right understanding in all things and evermore to rejoice in His holy consolation; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. (Collect for Pentecost)Rev. Aric Fenske, Executive Director of Lutherans for Life.

May 23, 2026Today's Reading: John 14:8-21Daily Lectionary: Numbers 20:22-21:9; Luke 20:45-21:19“I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.” (John 14:16-17)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Let's be honest. At first glance, this is a difficult reading. First, there's Jesus' criticism of Philip, who made a very pious-seeming request to see God the Father. “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father'?” (Jn 14:9) Maybe a little stung, would our self-talk reply, “C'mon, Philip! Don't bring your silly requests to Jesus! You should know better!”Then Jesus makes the connection between loving Him and obeying His Commandments. “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (v. 15) And again, “Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him” (v. 21). Again, consciences pricked by the Law, our poor record of keeping the Commandments makes us ask how sincerely we love Jesus.So, do you really know Jesus? Do you really love Jesus? Not very well, it seems.And yet, in the very middle of this reading is a promise from Jesus: He will ask the Father who will send the Holy Spirit, the Helper, the Spirit of truth.We confess in the Catechism, “I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His Gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith.”On our own, we cannot know Jesus. On our own, we cannot keep His Commandments. But we are not on our own. Jesus has given us the Holy Spirit to be with us forever. It was not up to us to make ourselves Christian. It is not up to us to keep ourselves Christian. The Spirit does for us what we could never do for ourselves. And He does not abandon us once He has given us the Gift of faith. He both gives the Gift of faith and enables us to live as faithful people. The Helper remains with us forever. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Almighty and ever-living God, You fulfilled Your promise by sending the gift of the Holy Spirit to unite disciples of all nations in the cross and resurrection of Your Son, Jesus Christ. By the preaching of the Gospel spread this gift to the ends of the earth; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. (Collect for Pentecost Eve)Rev. Jeffrey Hemmer, pastor of Bethany Evangelical Lutheran Church in Fairview Heights, IL and Signal Hill Lutheran Church in Belleville, IL

May 22, 2026Today's Reading: Introit for Pentecost - Psalm 68:1, 4a, c, 11a, 33b, 35a; antiphon: Liturgical Text; Psalm 68:3Daily Lectionary: Numbers 20:1-21; Luke 20:19-44“God shall arise, his enemies shall be scattered; and those who hate him shall flee before him!” (Psalm 68:1)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Have you ever done one of those eating challenges? “Finish this 144oz steak in 5 minutes and your whole bill is free!” If you can eat this 44lb burrito in 15 minutes, we'll put a small Polaroid of you on the wall with your name in Sharpie underneath!” At first, it's delicious. After a few bites, the deliciousness wears off. Suddenly, what might have once been your favorite food now evokes revulsion at every bite.Who can endure 50 days of Alleluias? We gave up our Alleluias, the joyful “Praise the Lord” for 40 days of Lent (plus three extra weeks if your congregation observed Pre-Lent!). And it was nice when it came back at Easter. But sometimes the joy feels a little forced. What once felt like pure joy in the octave of Easter now sometimes feels forced.But now we're on the cusp of a transition. We've had 48 days of Alleluias, and we're just 2 days before the Church Year returns to normal, but still the Psalm with its Easter Alleluias beckons us, “The righteous shall be glad. They shall exult before God; they shall be jubilant with joy! Alleluia.”That's not an imperative, not a command. It doesn't compel our rejoicing or force us to put on an Alleluia face. Sometimes in this Christian life, our alleluias feel more scripted than spontaneous. And that's ok.Even the Psalmist acknowledges that not everything goes according to the Divine ideal. “Shall” implies a “not yet”. “Shall be glad.” “Shall exult before God.” “Shall be jubilant with joy.” And then in the middle of the psalm, “God shall arise.” “His enemies shall be scattered.” “And those who hate him shall flee before him!” But those aren't fully realized yet. Sometimes we have to wait for the fulfillment of the “shall.” But in the Church, shall is certain. The future is guaranteed. God made a promise to you in Baptism that he cannot and will not break. You have been joined to Christ's death and resurrection. All your enemies–sin, death, and Satan–have been scattered. Their future is also certain. They will flee before the Lord on the Day of His return. You, the righteous, shall be eternally glad. And on that day, no one will need to script the Alleluias.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Scatter the darkness, break the gloom; Sun, reveal an empty tomb Shining with joy for all our sorrows, Hope and peace for all tomorrows, Life uneclipsed by doubt and dread: Christ has risen from the dead! (LSB 481:1)Rev. Jeffrey Hemmer, pastor of Bethany Evangelical Lutheran Church in Fairview Heights, IL and Signal Hill Lutheran Church in Belleville, IL

May 21, 2026Today's Reading: Catechism: The Lord's Prayer - 1st PetitionDaily Lectionary: Numbers 16:41-17:13; Numbers 18:1-19:22; Luke 20:1-18“God's name is certainly holy in itself, but we pray in this petition that it may be kept holy among us also.” (The Small Catechism, The Lord's Prayer- First Petition)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.What's in a name? What is a name? It's a label. It's the way in which we are known. It carries with it our reputation, an impression of our character. A new teacher may think they know you because they know your older sibling who came before you, and assume you will be the same because you share the same last name. A name is more than a word used to get our attention; it carries with it our very identity. Yahweh, God, and Father are all names by which we know God. They are holy, like nothing else. He is like no one else. He is not like other “gods.” He is gracious, merciful, compassionate, and forgiving. He desires and makes possible your forgiveness by sending His own Son, the second Person of God, being of the same substance, the same stuff, God Himself to die for you. What God does that? What God sacrifices Himself to save His people? Your God does. He is not like other “gods.”He is not like us, though, either. We are frail, weak, and prone to making mistakes and failures. We are imperfect, unholy sinners who drag His name through the mud. He is perfect, righteous, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent. Yet He becomes like us, flesh of our flesh and bone of our bones, born of woman, born under the law, born under the consequence of sin and death. He is like us in every way, even tempted as we are, but without sin. Though He is not without death. Through faith, that death is for you, that forgiveness is for you. God is for you. He is your God, and you are His.So He puts His name on you. In the waters of Holy Baptism, the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit is put on you. You are labeled. You are marked. You are known; your character and identity are in Him. You are not your weakness, your frailty, your mistakes, or your sins. They have no part with you anymore. Leave them behind, dead on the cross, buried in the tomb, drowned in the waters of your Baptism. You are Christian. You are forgiven. God, our Father, knows you because He knows Christ. So He knows, and you may know, that just as Christ is risen from the dead, so, too, shall you rise each day new and eternally new to live in His Kingdom. After all, His name, your name, is on it.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Our Father, hallowed be Thy name. O holy God, keep me holy today and to life everlasting in Your name. Amen.Rev. Brett Simek, pastor of Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Sioux Falls, SD.

May 20, 2026Today's Reading: Numbers 16:23-40Daily Lectionary: Numbers 16:23-40; Luke 19:29-48“If these men die as all men die, or if they are visited by the fate of all mankind, then the Lord has not sent me. But if the Lord creates something new, and the ground opens its mouth and swallows them up with all that belongs to them, and they go down alive into Sheol, then you shall know that these men have despised the Lord.” (Numbers 16:29-30)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.The time for God's choice between Moses and Korah has come. If Korah dies a natural death and nothing outrageous happens, then Moses isn't God's guy to lead Israel. If Korah lives to see tomorrow, he will take Moses' place and be declared God's chosen servant and leader. However, if something outrageous does happen, if something new and different happens, like the earth opening its mouth and swallowing Korah, then Moses remains. The odds appear to be in Korah's favor, at least they do if you ignore the plagues that God brought upon Egypt through Moses and the whole bit with the Red Sea. If you can forget about that, it seems Korah is a guaranteed winner.As long as you are willing to overlook history and the facts, Korah has everything on his side. His revolt against Moses and his authority is a sure thing, or it would be if his authority didn't come from God. As long as you're blind to everything except this moment, rebellion is a great idea. That's the way it seems, after all, what does authority know? What do parents know about growing up in this world? What do teachers know about having a social life? What do pastors know about living in the real world? Who are they to tell me what to do? As long as you are willing to overlook God establishing them as authorities over you for your good, you're totally right.But if you're not, you, like Korah, might be in trouble. If you're honest with yourself, your history, your rebellion, wanting to do things your way rather than God's way, you might want to keep an eye on the ground beneath your feet. You are in danger unless something even more outrageous than that happens. Unless God would actually choose you. Unless something as outrageous as God becoming Man, a finite infant, would happen. Unless God would choose you over His own Son, deliver up Christ to be crucified that you might live. Unless Jesus rises from the dead to put an end to the power of death and the grave, you might live in fear. Fear not. Your sins are forgiven. Christ is risen!In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Lord God, our gracious Father, deliver us from the fear of punishment and death along with the guilt of our sin that we would live boldly and confidently in your mercy and forgiveness for the sake of your crucified and risen Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, in whose name we pray. Amen.Rev. Brett Simek, pastor of Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Sioux Falls, SD.

May 19, 2026Today's Reading: 1 Peter 4:7-11 (12-14)Daily Lectionary: Numbers 16:1-22; Luke 19:11-28 “‘All shall be done,' said Aslan. ‘But it may be harder than you think.'” –C.S. Lewis, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. “The end of all things is at hand.” (1 Peter 4:7). Peter knew the trials involved with living as God's child in this world, and he sought to encourage us in Christ. We trust that Christ's return is certain, but the timing is unknown to us. It feels like the day of resurrection will never come. During this long and indefinite wait, what shall we do? Peter instructs us to continue loving one another and showing hospitality, utilizing our God-given gifts for the benefit of our neighbors, and speaking and serving as those whose words and actions are grounded in the wisdom and strength of God. We are called to live in this world not for ourselves, but for others. In this, we live with a sense of urgent readiness, not for more of this fallen world, but for the fullness of life eternal which comes with Christ on the Last Day. Because our only true hope is in Christ's imminent coming with His kingdom, we are free to sacrifice the gifts we have in this world for the sake of our neighbor, know that God will continue to provide. In living out our vocations in this way, we bear witness to others of the imminent coming of Christ. Peter likewise knows all too well the fiery trials that accompany the ultimate vocation of those who are in Christ. It should come as no surprise that those in Christ are at odds with this world (just as Jesus admonished in John 15 and 16). So, Peter tells us, in spite of any suffering we may experience at the hands of this world, our sharing in Christ's sufferings is cause for rejoicing, because “when His glory is revealed,” (His glorious return) we will most certainly rejoice forever! Rejoicing in our suffering in this world is a part of our witness to those around us that our faith is rooted in the hope of resurrection. Since our comfort, strength, and hope come from His grace, which was given to us via His suffering, let us rejoice that our suffering at the hands of this world unites us to Christ's passion, and therefore to His resurrection and life eternal. Thanks be to God for Peter, whose words point us to Christ, urging us to live with love, serve with humility, and rejoice in our suffering, knowing that Christ's victory is certain. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Because Your Son knew agony and loss, Felt desolation, grief and scorn and shame, We know You will be with us, come what may, Your loving presence near, always the same. Through long grief-darkened days help us, dear Lord, To trust Your grace for courage to endure, To rest our souls in Your supporting love, And find our hope within Your mercy sure. (LSB 764:4,5)Rev. Jeffrey Ries, pastor of Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tacoma, WA

May 18, 2026Today's Reading: Ezekiel 36:22-28Daily Lectionary: Numbers 14:26-45; Numbers 15:1-41; Luke 18:35-19:10"O Lord, command what you will and grant what you command." (Confessions, St. Augustine of Hippo) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. People often put their names on valuable belongings, even items they treasure solely for sentimental reasons that are unfathomable to others. One's name is tantamount to possession and value. God's name upon His people, Israel, equals His possession of them as well as their value to Him. Beginning with Abraham, God did not choose His people based on their goodness, morality, or value. When God first called Abraham (originally Abram), he was a pagan who worshipped the pagan gods of his Chaldean family. Even as Abram/Abraham responded to the Lord's promise to him and His offspring, he still violated that trust in numerous ways, just as would Isaac, Jacob/Israel, and his sons. From there, it gets no better. From then through the time of the Judges, then the Kings and Prophets, God's people continued to stray from His will. Time and time again, there was grumbling against God, tempting God, fornication, and murder, and all of this emanating from their constant propensity for idolatry. How could God place His holy name upon such a wretched people as these? How could He call them His people, His treasured possession (Exodus 19:5, Deuteronomy 7:6), even, “the apple of His eye” (Deuteronomy 32:10)? The answer is found in God's own declaration concerning Himself first in Exodus 34:6, and repeated not less than five times in Numbers, in Nehemiah, in the Psalms, and in the Prophets Joel and Jonah: “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness…” In merciful and gracious steadfast love, God placed His name upon Israel. God's name is His reputation, and His reputation is mercy. Through Ezekiel, God reminded Israel that they had done nothing to earn His favor. "It is not for your sake … that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name." (Ezekiel 36:22) This is the very reason that you can trust your Baptism! When God sprinkled clean water on you, making you clean (Ezekiel 36:25), it came with His name placed upon you, the mark of Christ's cross placed upon your brow and heart. How is it that God would or could save you, a poor, miserable sinner? God's name is His reputation, and His reputation is mercy. He saves you not for your sake, but for the sake of His holy name, which you bear. “By grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.” (Ephesians 2:8) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. O Christian, firmly hold this gift And give God thanks forever! It gives the power to uplift In all that you endeavor. When nothing else revives your soul, Your Baptism stands and makes you whole And then in death completes you. (LSB 596:5)Rev. Jeffrey Ries, pastor of Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tacoma, WA

May 17, 2026Today's Reading: John 15:26-16:4Daily Lectionary: Numbers 14:1-25; Luke 18:18-34“…now we cultivate the fear of God, justice, kindness, faith, and the expectation of the future given us through the Crucified One… The more we are persecuted and martyred, the more do others in ever increasing numbers become believers.”  ~Justin the Martyr (100AD – 165AD) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Most of Jesus' words to His disciples are intended to prepare them for His departure via the cross, where He would pay the cost of their salvation. In our text, Jesus' words prepare His Apostles for their eventual crosses – the hour which is coming when, “whoever kills you will think he is offering a service to God.” (Jn 16:2) A significant portion of Jesus' words to His disciples in all the Gospels are about the cost of being His disciple. (Matthew 10:38, 16:24; Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23, 14:25-33). As His disciple, where is your cross? You needn't go looking for it. You bear it marked upon your forehead and over your heart as given in the rite of Holy Baptism. When you were made God's own child in that water and Word, you were made an enemy of Satan, and thus an enemy of this fallen world over which he rules (John 12:31). No one baptized, who stands upon the rock of Christ's truth, is immune from the scorn of Satan or this world. That is the cross borne by you and all of God's saints.  Dying to yourself and to this world doesn't have to mean martyrdom. Still, you face a world where Scriptural truth is despised, God's created order is denied, and the truth of a merciful God is rejected. The cost could include the loss of friendships, family ties, the respect of your peers, and worldly success. So it is that, in our text, Jesus' admonition likewise includes the promise that the Holy Spirit will be the immutable source of your Christian life and witness.  “I have said all these things to keep you from falling away.” (John 16:1) Jesus' admonition is a gift. When the world rages against you, you are not left alone. The Holy Spirit keeps your eyes fixed upon Jesus, who authored and perfected your faith, enduring the cross for the joy set before Him. (Hebrews 12:2) The Spirit continues to call you by the Gospel, enlighten you with His gifts, keeping you in the true faith, daily and richly forgiving your sins. The cost you pay of dying to this world is a pittance compared to the cost of Christ's own blood, which has bought you and made you an heir with Him to eternity. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. O King of glory, Lord of hosts, uplifted in triumph far above all heavens, leave us not without consolation but send us the Spirit of truth whom You promised from the Father; for You live and reign with Him and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. (Collect for Exaudi – The Seventh Sunday of Easter)Rev. Jeffrey Ries, pastor of Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tacoma, WA

May 16, 2026Today's Reading: Introit for Easter 7 - Psalm 27:1, 11a, 12; antiphon: Psalm 27:7a, 8b, 9aDaily Lectionary: Numbers 13:1-3, 17-33; Luke 18:1-17“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Some of our favorite stories are filled with majestic, mighty, and magnificent castles. Think of Hogwarts Castle in Harry Potter. Cair Paravel in The Chronicles of Narnia. Minas Tirith or Helm's Deep in The Lord of the Rings. Camelot in the tales of King Arthur. And the list could go on.The true story of the Scripture features a majestic, mighty, magnificent castle as well. Only it's not found in the palaces of Persia. Not atop the bulwarks of Babylon or standing watch in the strong towers of Tyre and Sidon. You won't find it guarding Galilee or even within the gates of Jerusalem. In fact, it's not even a building at all, but a body born of the Virgin Mary.Yes, Holy Scripture has a castle. And that castle is Christ. When you sing, read, or pray Psalm 27, you are confessing what the Scriptures declare time and time again. Christ is our temple. Our dwelling place. Our shelter from the storm. Our safe haven. Our rock and refuge. Our strong house upon the rock. Jesus is your stronghold of salvation. When John sees the holy city, Jerusalem above, in Revelation, there is no temple there, for the Lamb is the temple and light and life. And the Lamb of God is also Christ our Castle. And this is no fairytale kind of Castle or King. Christ, our King and Castle, spreads his Kingdom all over the kingdoms of this world, wherever his saints gather to hear and receive his Gifts in word, water, Body and Blood.Jesus is the stronghold of your life and of his church. You're built upon and rest in the solid rock of Christ who rested on the wood of the cross and rolled the stone away for you. The pillars and timbers and arches of his church are sealed and secure by his Body and Blood. So, when you enter the gates of the Lord's house tomorrow, dine at his table, and feast as a welcomed guest, you will sing, “The Lord is the stronghold of my life of whom shall I be afraid?” This psalm, like all the psalms ultimately, is about Jesus. Your church is his castle where he rules and reigns in grace and mercy for you. There, Jesus is your King of kings and Castle of castles. He is our mighty fortress. A bulwark never failing. Jesus is the stronghold of your life, now and forever. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Thee will I love, my strength, my tower; Thee will I love, my hope, my joy. Thee will I love with all my power, With ardor time shall ne'r destroy. Thee will I love, O Light divine, So long as life is mine. (LSB 694:1)Rev. Samuel Schuldheisz, pastor of Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church in Milton, WA.

May 15, 2026Today's Reading: Catechism: The Lord's Prayer - IntroductionDaily Lectionary: Numbers 11:24-29; 12:1-16; Luke 17:20-37Our Father who art in heaven. What does this mean? With these words God tenderly invites us to believe that He is our true Father and that we are His true children, so that with all boldness and confidence we may ask Him as dear children ask their dear father. (Lord's Prayer - Introduction and Explanation)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.There are certain words that, by definition, tell you something about someone's relationship with others around them. Teachers need students, and students need teachers. The coach needs players, and players need a coach. The naval captain needs a crew, and the crew needs a captain. The pastor needs people, and God's people need a pastor. You get the idea. Something similar is happening when we pray the Lord's Prayer. One of the blessings Jesus gives us at the beginning of the Lord's Prayer is these words, “Our Father.” These are foundational, relationship-defining words and promises. “Our Father.” Just two words into the prayer, not even finished with the introduction, and God has already told us something important. “I am your Father. You are my children. I am the giver of all good things. You are the receiver of my grace and goodness. I, and I alone, define who you are. You belong to me. Your sins are paid for by the blood of my Son. You are saved by his cross. You are called, gathered, and enlightened by the Holy Spirit. Your faith and life are in my good and gracious hands.”And this is good news, because the sad reality is that sometimes earthly fathers fail miserably. Tragically, there are earthly fathers who abandon, abuse, or afflict their children. And the truth is, that all fathers, even the best ones, are still sinners in need of a perfect, loving, gracious heavenly father. And they're not alone in that. We all are. This is one of the reasons Jesus starts the prayer this way: “Our Father.” God the Father's love will not fail you. His grace towards you will never end. He won't walk out on you, hurt, or harm you. He promises never to leave you nor forsake you. His love and mercy and grace towards you are as he is, eternal, without end, wider than the widest ocean, and taller than the highest mountain. And should you ever doubt or despair of your Heavenly Father's love for you, you need look no further than the cross, where he sent His Son, His only Son, to die for you. And, that same Son, Jesus, gives you the joy and privilege of praying alongside him those words of promise, peace, and presence. Our Father.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Our Father who from heav'n above Bids all of us to live in love As members of one family And pray to You in unity, Teach us no thoughtless words to say But from our inmost hearts to pray. (LSB 766:1)Rev. Samuel Schuldheisz, pastor of Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church in Milton, WA.

May 14, 2026Today's Reading: Mark 16:14-20 or Luke 24:44-53Daily Lectionary: Numbers 11:1-23, 31-35; Luke 17:1-19“And he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them.While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven.” (Luke 24:50-51)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.If your hands could talk, what story would they tell? They might tell a story of aching, cramping pain after taking a long test. Perhaps they would tell a story filled with warmth and joy around a campfire with family or friends. Or maybe they tell a love story as husband and wife walk hand in hand.But what about Jesus? If his hands could talk, what story would they tell? Thankfully, we don't have to wonder. Jesus' holy, precious palms tell the story of his promises made and kept for you. The story of your salvation is written by and in the holy hands of Jesus. After all, he who fashioned and formed Adam out of the dust of the earth also was incarnate of the Virgin Mary. He is flesh of our flesh. Bone of our bone. Hand of our hand, yet without the blackspot of sin-stained hands. He who fearfully and wonderfully formed you in your mother's womb - hands and all - also wriggled and wiggled his infant hands as Mary wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger.He who painted the starry skies above and made the earth his canvas also reached out his hands to cleanse, heal, and raise from the dead.He who spread out his hands in the wilderness and rained down manna and quail from heaven also broke bread on the hillside and in the Upper Room. He who inhabits the heavenly and holy temple built without hands, also inhabits and takes on human flesh, hands and all. Jesus' hands reached out in blessing. Jesus' hands took bread and broke it, and gave it, saying, “Take, eat, this is my body.” Jesus' hands lifted a cup and said, “Take, drink; this is my blood.” Jesus' hands prayed in Gethsemane. Shook at the violence of Good Friday. Were driven through by nails. Blood poured from his hands. Life left his hands. The darkness of the tomb covered his hands. And then, his hands had more to say. A good and gracious story to tell: Peace be with you. Crucified hands for you. Scarred hands for you. Risen and glorified hands for you. And now at his ascension, Jesus raises his hands once again in blessing. For his disciples. For you. When it comes to Jesus' hands, he has a gracious grip on you. A holy hold on your life. Indeed, he's got the whole world - including you - in his pierced hands. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Be now our joy on earth, O Lord, And be our future great reward. Alleluia, alleluia! Then, throned with You forever, we Shall praise Your name eternally. Alleluia, alleluia! Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia! (LSB 493:5)Rev. Samuel Schuldheisz, pastor of Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church in Milton, WA.

May 13, 2026Today's Reading: Numbers 10:11-36Daily Lectionary: Numbers 10:11-36; Luke 16:19-31 “And whenever the ark set out, Moses said, ‘Arise, O Lord, and let your enemies be scattered, and let those who hate you flee before you.' And when it rested, he said, ‘Return, O Lord, to the ten thousand thousands of Israel.'” (Numbers 10:35-36)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.In the Scriptures, God is locatable. Not the way you type a location into Google Maps. And it's not like you can slap an Apple AirTag on him or open the “find my phone” app to see where he's roaming. Nevertheless, in the Scriptures, God is findable. God locates himself. God dwells with his people. In the pillar of fire and smoke. In the tabernacle. Upon the ark. There, he's enthroned between the cherubim. There he's present with and for his people.In the Old Testament, the people of Israel spent a lot of time searching for God's presence and peace in all the wrong places—back in Egypt in slavery, in the golden calf in the wilderness, in the idols of Baal and the Asherah, or any other number of pseudo, self-made deities they foolishly put their trust in. The truth is, God is not hard to find. All you have to do is look where he promises to be, and where he promises to dwell, and where he declares that he is present with and for his people. In the Old Testament, God wasn't hard to find. He was in his house, the tabernacle, and later the temple. He was in his word and promise. He was in the sacrifices and the blood and the smoke and the fire for his people.In the New Testament, once again, God is locatable. He is born of the Virgin Mary. He is findable for he took on human flesh. God dwells with his people as one of his people, first in Mary's womb, then on the cross and in the tomb, and out alive again three days later. Sadly, like Israel, we spend a lot of time searching for God's presence and peace in all the wrong places: our thoughts, feelings, and actions. Our selfish loves, lusts, and longings for peace and joy apart from Christ. But thankfully, God is still locatable. Findable. He dwells with you and for you. No longer on the ark or in the pillar of smoke and fire. But on the altar. Enthroned between the flaming candles, seated in the bread and wine for you. Jesus dwells with you and for you, setting up a watery tabernacle of his own where he sends the Holy Spirit to dwell with you. Jesus is present with all of his promises for you in holy words, holy Baptism, and holy Communion.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Sing praise to the God of Israel! Sing praise for His visitation! Redeeming his people from their sin, Accomplishing their salvation, Upraising a mighty horn within The house of his servant David. (LSB 936:1)Rev. Samuel Schuldheisz, pastor of Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church in Milton, WA.

May 12, 2026Today's Reading: 1 Timothy 2:1-6 or James 1:22-27Daily Lectionary: Numbers 9:1-23; Luke 16:1-18“For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.” (1 Timothy 2:5-6)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.In Genesis 18, Abraham made intercession to Yahweh. He petitioned God for the sake of the righteous (that is, believing in Yahweh's promises) people in Sodom. Abraham pleaded God down from fifty to ten. Only Abraham and his family, Lot and his family (well, minus his salty-pillared wife) made it out of Sodom before its destruction. Another mediator was needed.In Exodus and Leviticus, Yahweh instructed Moses and Aaron to consecrate a priesthood and construct the tabernacle. The priests and the place they served in were to be a place of intercession, redemption, atonement, and mediation. Sins were confessed. Sacrifices were slain. Blood was poured out. Day after day. Holy feast after holy feast. Year after year. These servants and the sacrifices were good. They did what God gave them to do. But the priests were far from perfect. And the sacrificial system was one of wash, rinse, and repeat. Another mediator was needed.In Exodus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, Moses pleaded and interceded on behalf of Israel numerous times when they failed, faltered, and were faithless in the wilderness. But so did Moses. He failed, faltered, and was faithless, too. He fell into the same infidelities of faith that Israel did. Moses, like so many of his generation, died in the wilderness before crossing the Jordan into the Promised Land. Once again, another mediator was needed. So, in the fullness of time, God sent forth His Son. Jesus is the One Mediator who redeems them all. Abraham, Aaron, and Moses were all small “m” mediators, each pointing the way to and paving the way for the capital “M” Mediator, Jesus. God's final mediator is God himself. Jesus is the best of both worlds. True God. True Man. Bearing Adam's humanity, yet without Adam's sin. Jesus is the go-between, reconciling us to God the Father. Jesus is our mediator bearing mercy and steadfast love. Jesus is our redeemer who pays our ransom with his holy, precious blood and his innocent suffering and death. And Jesus did this for Abraham, Aaron, Moses, and for you.In Jesus, you have the One Mediator who is perfect, eternal, everlasting, never-ending, always present, ever-gracious, and abounding in steadfast love for you.For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Since Christ has full atonement made And brought to us salvation, Each Christian therefore may be glad And build on this foundation. Your grace alone, dear Lord, I plead, Your death is now my life indeed, for You have paid my ransom. (LSB 555:6)Rev. Samuel Schuldheisz, pastor of Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church in Milton, WA.

May 11, 2026Today's Reading: Numbers 21:4-9Daily Lectionary: Numbers 8:5-26; Luke 15:11-32“And the Lord said to Moses, ‘Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.' So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live.” (Numbers 21:8-9)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Snakes usually have a bad reputation. And for good reason. The Slytherin house in Harry Potter is famous for dark wizards. Medusa, with her serpentine hairstyle and stone-cold stare, isn't exactly the woman that little girls long to be when they grow up. It's no different in the true story of the Scriptures. There's the serpent, the ancient dragon, Satan, back in Genesis, who tempted Adam and Eve with his craftiness, cunning, and calumny. The Lord tells Jeremiah to preach to Israel, but warns that he's sending him among serpents that cannot be tamed. Jesus admonishes the Pharisees that in their hissing fits of self-righteousness, they're a brood of vipers.And just like it did with our first parents, Adam and Eve, Satan's lies, along with sin's poison, came creeping and crawling, slithering and sliding, into the hearts and out of the mouths of Israel in the wilderness. “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this worthless food.”So what did God do? Tell them to pound sand right back into slavery? No. He did what he does throughout Scripture. He brought punishment, yes, but also promise. Warning, but also a way of rescue. Judgment, but also a sign of justification. Those fiery serpents were instruments of God's work of repentance and restoration. And then, the Lord took the serpent, a sign of temptation, evil, sin, and death, and turned it into a sign of salvation, goodness, righteousness, and life. Moses made a bronze serpent. Set it on a pole for all to see. And anyone who looked at it lived. This isn't the last time God takes a sign of sin, suffering, and death and turns it into a sign of salvation, reconciliation, and life. Only this time, it wasn't in the wilderness, but on a hilltop outside Jerusalem. And it wasn't a pole, but a wooden cross. And it wasn't a bronze serpent, but the Lord himself in the flesh. Jesus died for you. Defeated the Serpent at his own game. For just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Your cross I place before me; It's saving power restore me, Sustain me in the test. It will, when life is ending, Be guiding and attending My way to Your eternal rest. (LSB 453:7)Rev. Samuel Schuldheisz, pastor of Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church in Milton, WA.

May 10, 2026Today's Reading:John 16:23-30 (31-33)Daily Lectionary: Numbers 3:1-16, 39-48; Numbers 4:1-8:4; Luke 14:25-15:10“The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, Thus you shall bless the people of Israel: you shall say to them, The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. ‘So shall they put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them.'” (Numbers 6:22-27)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.There was an unwritten code in my college dorm room kitchen. If you didn't want someone absconding with your leftover microwave pizza or swiping those tasty homemade cookies mom sent you, you had better put your name on it. The name was a signal to my roommates. “This is mine. This belongs to me. This is something important and precious to me. Step away from the pizza!”Something similar, though in a far greater and gracious way, is happening when the Lord instructs Moses to declare to Aaron and his sons His words of blessing. We call it the Aaronic Benediction because it was given by God to Moses. And from Moses to Aaron. And from Aaron to his sons, the priests of Israel. And from the priests to the people of Israel. This benediction is more than a greeting, like sending someone a “get well” card or shooting off a quick text to your friend when they're sick: “Feel better, bro!” No. This is far better. For what the Lord says, he gives. What he promises, he delivers. When he tells Moses and Aaron to speak these words, his people are blessed as they hear them. The Lord's words bring His blessing, grace, and peace even while they're being spoken. You see, when our Lord wants to preserve, protect, and bring his promise to someone or something, He puts his name on it.The words and promises of this benediction are the Lord's way of sending a signal to Moses, Aaron, to all Israel, and to you. Our Lord poured his liquid benediction over you on the day of your Baptism. By water, word, and the Spirit, God placed his Holy Triune name upon you. And now, whenever you hear these words of benediction, the Lord says to you what he said to Israel: “You are mine. You belong to me. You are important and precious and beloved in my sight. You are holy. And you have my word and my name to back it up.” “So shall they put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them.”In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.I the Lord will bless you and keep you And give you peace; I the Lord will smile upon you And give you peace: I the Lord will be your Father, Savior, Comforter, and Brother. Go, My children; I will keep you And give you peace. (LSB 922:4)Rev. Samuel Schuldheisz, pastor of Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church in Milton, WA.

May 9, 2026Today's Reading: Introit for Easter 6 - Psalm 66:1-2a, 17, 19-20; antiphon: Isaiah 48:20bDaily Lectionary: Leviticus 26:21-33, 39-44; Numbers 1:1-2:34; Luke 14:1-24“Blessed be God, because he has not rejected my prayer or removed his steadfast love from me!” (Psalm 66:20)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed! Alleluia! Amen. Our God is a God who wants to hear our prayers. The psalmist confesses his iniquity and knows that his heart has turned from God. Even in the darkest times, God has heard his cries for help and pleas for mercy. It is not God that is far off; rather, it is man who has abandoned God in his sin. He has turned his back on God and sought after the desires of his sinful heart.In this world, the attacks from sin, satan, and the world are relentless. The temptation to follow our own desires of the flesh is always before us. Satan does not take a day off or the world a vacation when it comes to pulling us away from the one true God. In sin we seek after the lusts of the flesh. In sin, we want to work out our problems on our own. We rationalize God to be far off and out of touch with the realities that confront us. We meditate on our own wishes and reason our own solutions to the struggles that confront us. God has not abandoned us. He has not forsaken us. Our God is a God of mercy and compassion. He is a God who desires our prayers. He wants nothing more than for us to lift our prayers and petitions to Him. He hears our prayers. As the Psalmist writes, “...He has not rejected my prayer or removed His steadfast love from me.” In humility and humbleness, we petition our Father that His will may be done through us. He shapes and forms us as the potter shapes the clay. We are His vessels to serve in the vocations that He has equipped us for from before the foundations of the world. As we journey towards the end of the Easter season, we are comforted by the words of the Psalmist in knowing that our Father in Heaven always hears our prayers. Through the work of the Holy Spirit, we are pointed back to our Baptism where we are marked with His word and water. We are drawn to the Communion rail where He feeds us with His healing balm of His Body and Blood. In His Holy Word, the Savior is revealed, and the message of forgiveness is placed upon our ears. In faith, we lift up our prayers to an ever-loving God who does not reject our prayers.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.To God the Holy Spirit let us pray For the true faith needed on our way That He may defend us when life is ending And from exile home we are wending. Lord have mercy (LSB 768:1)Rev. Timothy Davis, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Athens, GA.

May 8, 2026Today's Reading: Luke 13:29-30Daily Lectionary: Leviticus 26:1-20; Luke 13:18-35“...And people will come from east and west, and from north and south, and recline at table in the kingdom of God. And behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.”(Luke 13:29-30)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed! Alleluia! Amen. Jesus teaches His hearers that in Him salvation is for the world. The mindset of the first-century Jew was that salvation was on account of their lineage. The appeal of the church leadership was to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob for their assurance that God would save them. The idea that salvation would be for the Gentile was folly to the Jew. The teaching that the message of salvation was for the world was foreign to the Pharisees and the church leadership. The Messiah was for the Jews to free them from a tyrannical and oppressive foreign government. Jesus flips the narrative that was being taught upside down. A teaching that the first would be last and the last first did not agree with the current leadership. Jesus was chastised for the people He called as His disciples. The individuals who benefited from His miracles were from all walks of life. He sat with sinners and tax collectors. He proclaimed comfort and hope to the destitute. He healed the blind, the deaf, and the mute. The outcast, the beggar, the half-breed Samaritans, He healed and restored them. His message was contrary to the message that the Pharisees had been teaching. He brought a message of forgiveness and mercy.Our world today advocates for self-reliance. We are to seek out our own desires and fulfill those desires regardless of whether they are contrary to the Scriptures. The message of the Scripture is still contrary to what the world would have us believe. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is offensive to the world. The world says to rely on yourself, fulfill your wants, and serve yourself. Christ's message is a message of repentance and forgiveness. The Savior has come into this world and paid the price for your sins. He has fulfilled the law on your behalf. You are set free to live in your Baptism. He did not look at your last name or who your parents are. He did not look at your history or where you are from ethnically. God has called you out of His unfathomable love for you.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Today Your mercy calls us To wash away our sin However great our trespass, Whatever we have been However long from mercy Our hearts have turned away, Your precious blood can wash us And make us clean today. (LSB 915:1Rev. Timothy Davis, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Athens, GA.

May 7, 2026Today's Reading: Catechism: The Lord's PrayerDaily Lectionary: Leviticus 24:1-23; Leviticus 25:1-55; Luke 12:54-13:17The Second Petition. Thy Kingdom come. What does this mean? The kingdom of God certainly comes by itself without our prayer, but we pray in this petition that it may come to us also. How does God's kingdom come? God's kingdom comes when our heavenly Father gives us His Holy Spirit, so that by His grace we believe His holy Word and lead godly lives here in time and there in eternity.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed! Alleluia! Amen. As Jesus teaches His disciples to pray, they are reminded that the kingdom of God is not merely a location here on earth or some existential place that is beyond our understanding. The kingdom of God is present in Christ. John the Baptist proclaimed, “The kingdom of God is at hand,” when Christ was at the Jordan River. In Christ is also the reign of God. We say that in Christ is the “kingdoming” of God. He is the rule and reign of all things. As we pray in the Lord's Prayer, “Thy kingdom come,” we are reminded that the rule and reign of Christ is taking place right now. His reign is not something we are waiting to take place. Luther defines that the Kingdom of God comes through the Holy Spirit, when, by His grace, we believe His holy Word and lead godly lives here and in eternity. In the life of the church and her people, there is the kingdom of God. When we receive the true Body and Blood of our Savior Jesus Christ in the Holy Sacrament, His kingdom is at hand. Christ comes to us for the strengthening of faith and the forgiveness of sins. As the Holy Spirit lives and dwells within us, we are sent out into the world to lead holy lives reflective of our Baptism. The world would like us to believe that the only kingdom is the kingdom here on earth. Our culture insists that there is nothing beyond this world and that there is nothing other than this world. We are encouraged to live lives that feed our flesh and our desires. The world, sin, and satan say that we are in charge of our own destiny. Scriptures teach otherwise. Scriptures point us through the lies of the world and point us to Christ and His kingdom. Scriptures point us to the work of Christ, and in those works is His “kingdoming.” He has fulfilled the law on our behalf. He has paid the price for our sins. He has conquered death. He reigns now and for all eternity. In His reigning we pray, “Thy Kingdom Come.”In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.May Christ our intercessor be And through His blood and merit Read from His book that we are free With all who life inherit. Then we shall see Him face to face, With all His saints in that blest place Which He has purchased for us. (LSB 508:6)Rev. Timothy Davis, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Athens, GA.

May 6, 2026Today's Reading: Luke 12:35-53Daily Lectionary: Leviticus 23:23-44; Luke 12:35-53“‘Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, 36 and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks.” (Luke 12:35-36)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed! Alleluia! Amen. Jesus' words for the disciples were a little concerning for them. They wanted to know if these words were for them or for all the people. The “managers” are in the crosshairs of Christ's admonishment. The ones entrusted with the work of overseeing the administration of the gifts that have been given to them. The local church had abused its power by burdening the consciences of the people. The leadership continually advocated a law of salvation for the people. God's forgiveness was contingent upon the obedience to the laws made by man. The church had grown into apostasy. The leadership failed to see themselves as servants, but rather as those who were in control and “calling the shots.” The life they advocated was not about God's unfailing mercy and forgiveness but rather about obedience to their laws. Christ saw their hardened hearts. Christ came as the suffering servant who dies on the cross and conquers death. His ministry is a ministry of servitude for His people. In His service, His people are made ready for the Master's return. He prepares His people through the Gift of Holy Baptism. In your Baptism, you are made ready for His glorious return. Christ reminds His hearers that they know neither the day nor the hour when the master will return. He merely encourages them to be ready. You are ready in your Baptism. In your Baptism, you received the name of Jesus. In your Baptism, you received the sign of the cross both upon your forehead and upon your heart to mark you as one redeemed by Christ the crucified. You are baptized into His death, and you are baptized in His resurrection. You are dressed for the return of Christ as His robe of righteousness has been placed over you. You are ready for His return.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.The gifts flow from the font Where He calls us His own; New life He gives that makes Us His and His alone. Here He forgives our sins With water and His Word; The triune God Himself Gives pow'r to call Him Lord. (LSB 602:2)Rev. Timothy Davis, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Athens, GA.

May 5, 2026Today's Reading: James 1:16-21Daily Lectionary: Leviticus 23:1-22; Luke 12:13-34“Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” (James 1:16-17)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed! Alleluia! Amen. The epistle of James does not mince words when it comes to the life of the Christian. James makes it abundantly clear that in our sanctified lives, we live as children of God. It is no surprise that many of the reformers reluctantly went to James. Even Luther struggled with James, but Luther also knew that God's word is unchangeable. In Exodus, God gives the promise to Moses to share with the people, “I will be your God and you will be my people.” (Exodus 6:7) God declares that He is the one who is bringing them out of slavery in Egypt and into a land of freedom flowing with milk and honey. Later, when they are in the wilderness, God delivers the Decalogue and reminds them again that He is their God and they are His people. His people do not live like the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, or the Egyptians, but His people live like children of God. When the people of the Old Testament do not live like children of God, He says to them, “You are not people and I am not your God.” (Hosea 1:9)In our sinfulness, we live like the world. We indulge in the pleasures of the flesh. We feed our minds with fantasies of immorality and ungodly conduct. We seek ways to massage God's word so that we can justify our behavior or someone else's behavior. In James, the mirror of the law exposes our sin and accuses us of not being God's children. In that behavior, we are not His people, and He is not our God. James does not leave us in despair. He reminds his hearers that all good things come from God. He writes in chapter 1:17, “....every perfect gift is from above,…” The perfect gift is a “complete” gift. The reader cannot help but connect what James writes here and what Christ says on the cross. It is “finished.” It is complete. The work is done, and it has come from above. Christ has fulfilled the law for us so that we are no longer slaves under the law. We are set free to live as children of God. He is our God, and we are His people. He gives to us His holy law, and we are free to live in His holy law without fear of the world's condemnation. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.To Jesus we for refuge flee, Who from the curse has set us free, And humbly worship at His throne, Saved by His grace through faith alone. (LSB 579:3)Rev. Timothy Davis

May 4, 2026Today's Reading: Isaiah 12:1-6Daily Lectionary: Leviticus 21:1-24; Luke 12:1-12“Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.” (Isaiah 12:2)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed! Alleluia! Amen. The people of Judah were in a precarious position. They had watched the Northern Kingdom be completely destroyed by the Assyrian army. Families were separated. The places of worship had been desecrated with idols of false gods. The identity of the Northern Kingdom was gone. King Ahaz refused to listen to God through the prophet Isaiah. King Ahaz had his own plans to protect his people. Ahaz looked to the formidable army of Egypt for protection against Assyria. The very nation that God had freed His people from enslavement, Ahaz cut a deal with and went back to their historic slavemaster. In the previous chapters, Isaiah reminds his hearers of God's attitude towards arrogance and pride. God hates the prideful nature of man. He despises the arrogance of His people and the arrogance of the pagan nations around His people. In their idolatry, they have committed adultery against God. They have had affairs with other gods and lusted after their own hearts' desires. In the worst of times, they still pursued their own hearts and their false gods.In our sin, we fall into the trap of arrogance and pride. We see our accomplishments and what we are capable of achieving. Our electronic advancements and technological advancements give us every answer in the palm of our hands. We can find endless entertainment, both good and bad, with a few swipes of the finger. It can seem as if nothing is out of our reach. Isaiah's words in chapter 12 speak to the remnant that was left behind. The few that remained faithful to God. The epitome of that remnant is found in Jesus Christ. Christ is Israel reduced to one. The final sacrifice, the final King, the final prophet. Christ fulfills all aspects of God's holy law. In faith, you hold fast to the promise that Christ has completed the work for your salvation. Sin, satan, and the world will work tirelessly to turn you away from the work of Christ and point you to your work. In faith, you are held fast to Christ's work and His salvation for you. He has become your salvation. He has completed the work for you. He has paid the price for your sins. He has conquered death for you. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Though Satan's wrath Beset our path And worldly scorn assail us, While You are near, We shall not fear; Your strength will never fail us, Your rod and staff will keep us safe And guide our steps forever; Nor shades of death Nor hell beneath Our lives from You will sever. (LSB 714:2)

May 3, 2026Today's Reading: John 16:5-15Daily Lectionary: Leviticus 20:1-16, 22-27; Luke 11:37-54“Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.” (John 16:7)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed! Alleluia! Amen. Jesus' words to the disciples are incongruent with their thoughts about the role of the Messiah. In their minds, the Messiah was to come and free them from the bondage and rule of a tyrannical government. The children of God were to reclaim the glory days of David and Solomon. Now they hear these words of departure and preparation for the helper, the paraclete, to come. The words of Christ are not words of comfort in the ears of the disciples. We are on a journey through the season of Easter, and as we traverse the Easter season, we are being made ready for the celebration of the coming of the Holy Spirit. The day of Pentecost is quickly approaching. The tongues of fire rest upon the disciples of Christ, and the Good News of salvation is spoken and heard in the native language of the hearers. The message of salvation for mankind is for everyone. The arrival of the Holy Spirit does not mean that Christ is no longer with us. Many denominations teach that Christ is “only” at the right hand of God the Father. Churches across our country advocate that if you want to have a real relationship with Jesus, you need to “experience” Him. Experiential language is not the language of the Scriptures. The Scriptures teach that our Savior comes to us in the blessed Sacrament of the Altar. He comes to us as we receive His true body and true blood in the bread and the wine. In the sacrament, our sins are forgiven. In the sacrament, our faith is strengthened. We are sent out, sanctified by the Holy Spirit, to serve our neighbors in our vocations where we proclaim the death and resurrection of our Savior Jesus Christ. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.O God, You make the minds of Your faithful to be of one will. Grant that we may love what You have commanded and desire what You promise, that among the many changes of this world our hearts may be fixed where true joys are found; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. (Collect for the Fifth Sunday of Easter, Cantate)Rev. Timothy Davis

May 2, 2026Today's Reading: Introit for Easter 5 - Psalm 98:1b, 3-4; antiphon: Psalm 98:1a, 2bDaily Lectionary: Leviticus 19:9-18, 26-37; Luke 11:14-36“Oh sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things! His right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him. The Lord has made known his salvation; he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations.” (Psalm 98:1-2)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.The book of Psalms is sometimes known as the hymnal of the Scriptures. And for good reason. There are one hundred and fifty psalms, or songs, given by our Lord, the Maestro of mercy, for us to pray, sing, study, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest. Psalm 98, which will be sung tomorrow in the Lord's house, is a beautiful example of how the Holy Scriptures sing the story of salvation. But it's not just in the Psalms. You'll find the story of salvation sung throughout the Scriptures. God's word rings out in harmony and blends its many voices to the tune of his steadfast love. From Genesis to Revelation, God's word echoes with the joyous songs of Yahweh's salvation. Everywhere you find God saving his people, you'll find them singing the songs of salvation.When Israel walked through the Red Sea, and Pharaoh's armies were buried in a liquid grave, they sang. “I will sing unto the Lord for he has triumphed gloriously, his horse and rider he has thrown into the sea.”When Isaiah foretold the coming Servant of Yahweh who would suffer in our place, he sang the Servant Songs that fill his prophetic book with a foretaste of the cross to come. “For by his wounds we are healed.”When Elizabeth and Mary met, and John leapt in the womb for joy that Jesus had come at last in the flesh, Mary sang the Magnificat. “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my savior.”When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the donkey brayed, and the crowds sang, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.”And when John lets us peek into the angelic choir loft of heaven, guess what the saints, angels, and archangels are doing? That's right. Singing a new song, which is also an ancient song. “Worthy are you…for you were slain and by your blood you ransomed people for God.”So when you go to Divine Service tomorrow morning and sing the psalms, hymns, and liturgy, there might be ten people in church, or two hundred. But no matter how many people are gathered, you never sing alone. Whether it's a new song or an old song, join the throng and sing along to the God of our salvation, for he has done marvelous things!In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Creator, humbly I implore You To listen to my earthly song Until that day when I adore You, Together with the angel throng And learn with choirs of heav'n to sing Eternal anthems to my King. (LSB 811:5)Rev. Samuel Schuldheisz

May 1, 2026Today's Reading: John 14:1-14Daily Lectionary: Leviticus 18:1-7, 20-19:8; Luke 11:1-13“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.” (John 14:1)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.From the disciples' point of view, they had plenty of good reasons why their hearts were troubled. They had seen, or rather, smelled the formerly dead man known as Lazarus walk out of his grave. They got wind of the Pharisees' plot to kill both Jesus and Lazarus. They'd noticed the chief priests following them in the temple, through the streets, and around Jerusalem - their hostility and anger, a rising tide. They had seen the awesome faith in Jesus demonstrated by the crowds that followed them, and the appalling unbelief and rejection of Jesus by many in the same crowds. Not to mention, Jesus kept saying and doing strange, odd things lately— like how the Son of Man was going to be lifted up; words of foreboding and darkness; warnings of betrayal and denial, of roosters and rejection, even among some of them. It's no wonder the disciples were troubled that Thursday night of Holy Week. And yet in the midst of all the disciples' fears, anxieties, worries, and bewilderment, Jesus speaks. “Let not your heart be troubled.”At first, this doesn't sound comforting. It's like the Queen in 1940s London telling you to keep calm and carry on while bombs are dropping all over, or Taylor Swift singing, “You need to calm down,” when a relationship is broken and your emotions are running as fast as your heart is beating.But that's the difference between our words and the words from the Word made flesh. Jesus' words give exactly what he says.So when Jesus sits with his frightened disciples and says, “Let not your hearts be troubled,” his word delivers his peace. Jesus' promise and presence are the foundation and the guarantee of those words. “Let not your hearts be troubled?” How? “Believe in God and believe in me? And don't worry, Jesus says, I'll give you faith too.”When Jesus said, “Let not your hearts be troubled,” he knew that Good Friday, the cross, and his death and burial were about to happen. But he also knew that Sunday morning was coming. The stone rolled away. An empty tomb. Resurrection from the dead. What Jesus says happens. What he promises comes true: for his fearful, troubled disciples, and for you in whatever troubles you face. Jesus' peace and promise are for you. So, “Let not your hearts be troubled.”In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Almighty God, Your Son revealed Himself to Philip and James and gave them the knowledge of everlasting life. Grant us perfectly to know Your Son, Jesus Christ, to be the way, the truth, and the life, and steadfastly to walk in the way that leads to eternal life; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

April 30, 2026Today's Reading: Catechism: Creed Third ArticleDaily Lectionary: Leviticus 17:1-16; Luke 10:23-42“I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian church, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.” (3rd Article of the Apostles' Creed)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.“So the Holy Spirit is like the Bat-signal,” said a confirmation student while learning about the Third Article of the Creed.“Wait, what?” I answered, bewildered, but curious. “What do you mean?”“Well,” he went on to say, “Whenever Gotham City needs help, they light up the Bat-signal, and it points the way; it lets people know help is on the way; it lets everyone know that Batman is coming to the rescue.”You might not think comic books could provide a talking point for confirmation class and the Holy Spirit. And believe me, I didn't think so at first either. But this kid was right. God the Father sends God the Son. God the Son lives and dies for the sins of the world. God the Son promises God the Holy Spirit. God, the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son. God the Holy Spirit points us back to God the Son, who brings us back to God the Father. The Holy Spirit gives us Jesus. Works faith in our hearts. He calls us by the Gospel, gathers us in the Holy Christian Church, sanctifies us in Jesus, and enlightens us with all of God's holy Gifts.The Holy Spirit is sent and given to let you, and all the baptized know, that help is on the way in Jesus, who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. The Holy Spirit takes no days off, no breaks, no mid-day naps. His work is never done, yet is always being done in the Holy Christian church where we receive the forgiveness of sins. The Holy Spirit leads you to and gives you Jesus, who came to rescue, redeem, restore, and renew you. And thankfully, unlike your favorite comic book heroes, the Holy Spirit is not a work of fiction or fantasy. However, he does mask himself and work through ordinary means: water, word, bread and wine, the Gospel, the Absolution, Baptism, and the Lord's Supper. The Holy Spirit is no imaginary hero, but the very real third person of the Holy Trinity who lives and works to call you to faith in Jesus, point you to your Savior, give you faith in Jesus, keep you in the faith, and eternally fill you with Good News: help is indeed on the way in Christ who rescues you.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Creator Spirit, by whose aid The world's foundations first were laid, Come visit every humble mind; Come pour Your joys on humankind; From sin and sorrow set us free; May we Your living temples be. (LSB 500:1)

April 29, 2026Today's Reading: Leviticus 16:1-24Daily Lectionary: Leviticus 16:1-24; Luke 10:1-22“And Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over it all the iniquities of the people of Israel, and all their transgressions, all their sins. And he shall put them on the head of the goat and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who is in readiness.” (Leviticus 16:21)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.The Day of Atonement in Leviticus sixteen is a tale of two goats. Both gathered at the tent of meeting. Both before the Lord. Both goats given by a gracious God to save his people and atone for all their iniquities.One goat was for a sin offering. A sacrifice. A substitute. The innocent for the guilty. Clean for the unclean. A life for a life. Blood sprinkled on the mercy seat. Atonement made by the Holy One of Israel in the Holy of Holies to make his people holy. To cover all their transgressions.The second goat was an offering as well—a living sacrifice. As Aaron laid his hands on this goat, he laid all the trespasses of the people upon it. All their sins. All their iniquities. This goat was sent packing away from the camp and into the wilderness. This goat, too, is a substitute. Sent away from God's presence so his people would remain in his presence. Given to bear Israel's sin so they would not have to. But there's more to this story. Two goats point to the One Lamb.Like the first goat, Jesus, is our sin offering. A sacrifice. A substitute. He is the innocent one who dies for the guilty. He is the Clean One who washes away all the filth of our uncleanness. He gives his life for your life. His blood is sprinkled and shed and poured out on the altar of the cross and then into a chalice upon the mercy seat of the altar in your church. And like the second goat, Jesus, went out into the wilderness. Jesus overcame Satan, where the Serpent overcame Adam and Eve. Jesus also bears the iniquities of the people, all people, on his head, as he goes outside the camp of Jerusalem. Into the wilderness of Golgotha, burdened and weighed down by all our trespasses, all our sins, all our iniquities. Jesus, the Lamb of God, is sent outside the city walls and is forsaken by God so that you and all who believe in him would remain in his presence. Jesus is given to bear our sin so we don't have to.This tale of two goats points us to the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Where the paschal blood is poured, Death's dread angel sheathes the sword; Israel's hosts triumphant go through the wave that drowns the foe. Alleluia! (LSB 633:3)