Devotions
Devotion: October 10, 2021
The Priesthood of Jesus When Christians speak of the identity and role of Jesus, titles like “Shepherd,” “Messiah,” “Savior” and “King” come to mind. Less familiar is the title of “Priest”—much less “a great high priest,” as he is named in Hebrews 4:12-16, our scripture lesson for this coming Sunday. When we hear the word …
Devotion: September 24, 2021
Revival “The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul.” -Psalm 19:7 This week, Deb and I joined with some old friends aboard the schooner Lewis R. French to sail across the islet-strewn waters of Penobscot Bay, Maine. Our cruise had been scheduled for 2020, but the warm, sunny days and …
Devotion: Between Faith and Doubt | August 15, 2021
In the Ninth chapter of the Gospel of Mark, Jesus returns from the mountain of his Transfiguration to encounter a chaotic scene not unlike that which Moses encountered at the foot of Mt. Sinai. What is contributing to the chaos is a lack of faith. There is a father of an epileptic boy who has …
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Weekly Devotional: “Be Still…” July 2, 2021
“Be Still…” Psalm 46, known as “Luther’s Psalm,” is the second-most favorite psalm in the Bible, surpassed only by The Shepherd’s Psalm: Psalm 23. Psalm 46 will be our text for this Fourth of July weekend as our congregation gives thanks and prays for our nation. At the heart of Psalm 46, the words “Be …
Weekly Devotion: June 4, 2021
“…so we, who are many, are one body in Christ.” Romans 12:8 This Sunday, our congregation will have the high privilege of participating in the ordination and installation of the women and men they elected to serve them as Ruling Elders and Deacons. Along with Ministers of Word and Sacrament, these are the three categories …
Weekly Devotion: Holy Week…Are You There? | March 26, 2021
Dear Friends, This Sunday commemorates Jesus’ Entrance into Jerusalem and the beginning of Holy Week, when Christians worldwide remember the saving death and resurrection of our Lord. During Holy Week the Church raises again the Palms of Christ’s Kingship, singing, “Hosanna in the highest!” During Holy Week the Church remembers his Cleansing of the Temple, …
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Weekly Devotion: The Fear of the Lord | March 12, 2021
The Book of Proverbs rests at the heart of the Wisdom Literature of the Old Testament. At the heart of the Book, this proverb takes precedence over all: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; but fools despise wisdom and understanding” (Pr. 1:7). This phrase, “the fear of the Lord” is repeated …
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Weekly Devotion: Finding Your Breath | March 5, 2021
Last week I took my study leave in Borrego Springs, surrounded on all sides by the mountainous vistas of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. It is a place of stark contrasts and sere beauty, where just a couple of hundred feet from the few desolate highways which cross its vast emptiness lies a silence and a …
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Devotion: January 29, 2021 | Preach the Word
If you had only one remaining opportunity to offer counsel and encouragement to someone you have cared about and even mentored over the years, what would those words be? In our text from 2 Timothy 4:1-5 for this Sunday, we find the apostle Paul in precisely this position writing to young Timothy, his spiritual son …