In Luke 7:36-50, a sinful woman came to Jesus. She wept on his feet, wiped them with her hair, kissed them, and anointed them with oil. Picture it in your mind. It is a stunning act of worship. It happened at a Pharisee’s home. That Pharisee knew who this woman was, and just how sinful… Read More ›
I really enjoy our church’s hymnody. Someone might say, “Well, yeah. You get to pick them.” And I suppose that’s part of it. I rarely pick hymns I don’t like. But I think the bigger part of it is that in order to pick them, I have to read them ahead of time. This gives… Read More ›
I have a neighbor who likes to talk. Occasionally I see him and greet him across the fence. Sometimes it’s just to see how he’s doing. Sometimes it’s because I’m concerned about a tree branch. First I ask him how he’s doing. Then he tells me his political views. Regardless of the level of government… Read More ›
What now? After ten weeks of meeting online for services, we’ve opened our doors for in-person services again. June 28 is “The Fifth Sunday of Reopening.” It’s been refreshing for me to see faces of Trinity again. Of course, many are still watching at home via the live stream, and that’s good. Our intention in… Read More ›
I’ve been thinking of doing a sermon series on pandemics in light of the Ten Commandments. I don’t do many sermon series. Aside from Lenten services, I think I have only done one series for Sunday mornings. Otherwise I’ve stuck to the lectionary readings. But, occasionally, something comes up that needs direct attention. Our current… Read More ›
And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. (Acts 2:42) One of the primary things we do as a congregation is pray for one another. And it’s not simply one another whom we pray for, but for those around us too. We pray for… Read More ›
Just like a good come-from-behind baseball game, worship begins in humility, and ends in exaltation. We begin with the humble declaration, “Almighty God, our Maker and Redeemer, we poor sinners confess to you …” It kind of seems like a downer. It’s like the starting pitcher gave up a few runs and got knocked out… Read More ›
Have you ever wondered if you are praying for the right things? What if we are actually praying for things that will hurt us? What if there is something we should be praying for that we don’t know about? What if we or someone we love is missing out on God’s blessings simply because we… Read More ›
The tired, but excited band of friends sat down for the biggest meal of the year. It had been a crazy week. The city was filled with visitors from all over the country, and not a few of them were talking about Jesus. People had been wondering if Jesus might be the Messiah, and now… Read More ›
“Pastor, right before we receive the Lord’s Supper, you always read those instructions about receiving the Sacrament in a worthy manner. Why do you do that? How could we ever be worthy?” This is a great question. I have heard it in various forms, and if a few of you have asked me about it,… Read More ›