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Review of The Greatest Sentence Ever Written by Walter Isaacson

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Walter Isaacson, The Greatest Sentence Ever Written . Simon & Schuster. 2025. The sentence that Isaacson declares as the greatest is the first sentence of the second paragraph of the American Declaration of Independence of July 4, 1776.  We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. The author succinctly elucidates the sources, concepts, and intentions, behind the words: we; self-evident truths; all men; created equal; endowed by their Creator; certain unalienable rights; life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Isaacson’s concise and clear explanations are a heuristic model for any introduction to the Declaration. Anyone can pick this book and learn why the Declaration is a truly unique document. I hope this book is used in civics classes in schools.  If the information stopped with the succinct explanation...
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Ash Wednesday: Video of Divine Service and Text of Sermon

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Video of Ash Wednesday Divine Service Ash Wednesday  Joel 2:12-19 2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10 Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21 O Lord, let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, my Rock and my Redeemer. Amen.  The text that is the basis for the homily tonight is Exodus 2:23-25.  23 During those many days the king of Egypt died, and the people of Israel groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help. Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God. 24 And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. 25 God saw the people of Israel—and God knew. These words come at a transition point. On the one side is that Israel’s situation in Egypt has changed. Joseph and his brothers have died. His whole generation is but a memory. The crisis of the seven-year drought has slipped into the mists of ancient history. The pharaoh that rules Egypt now has an immigration problem. Israel has the best land an...
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Transfiguration Sunday - Video of Divine Service and text of sermon

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Video of Divine Service at St. Luke, Rensselaer Last Sunday of the Epiphany Season: Transfiguration Exodus 24:8-18        2 Peter 1:16-21         Matthew 17:1-9 O Lord, let the Words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, my rock and my redeemer. Amen. The last time we heard directly from the Father was Jesus’ baptism. The voice declared from heaven, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” We note that when the Father interrupts Peter’s reaction to the Transfiguration of Jesus along with the appearance of Moses and Elijah, the Father makes the same statement as He did at Jesus’ baptism. Peter, James, and John, the brother of James, were not present at Jesus’ baptism. The Father’s declaration from the midst of the cloud is for their benefit, not Jesus’. We note also that our heavenly Father adds one simple sentence of exhortation to his declaration, “Listen to Him...
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Wednesday in the week of the Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany - Sermon text

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Wednesday in the fifth Sunday after the Epiphany 2 Corinthians 11:19-12:9    Luke 8:4-15   O Lord, let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, my rock and my redeemer. Amen. In considering the mystery of salvation, we must begin with the assuring image that the Good News of God, that is Christ Jesus, is cast far and wide. We should have in our minds eye the old-time farmer who sows the seed through broadcasting. The farmer casts his seed with the hopes that every seed will take root and produce abundantly for harvest.    The Lord intends for the Good News of Christ to be widely cast. The Scriptures testify that God desires all people to receive Christ with faith. God sent Jonah the prophet into pagan Ninevah so that they could hear God’s Word. When Israel was allowed to leave their Babylonian captivity, many faithful Jews stayed. They witnessed their faith in ancient Persia, now Iran, for centuries.    Jesus...
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Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany video of Divine Service and Sermon Text

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  Video of Divine Service at St. Luke, Rensselaer Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany Isaiah 58:3-9a 1 Corinthians 2:1-12 Matthew 5:13-20 O Lord, let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, my rock and my redeemer. Amen.  Lent begins two Wednesdays from now with Ash Wednesday. Right before the imposition of ashes the pastor states that Ash Wednesday “begins a holy season of prayerful and penitential reflection. Our attention is especially directed to the holy sufferings and death of our Lord Jesus Christ. From ancient time the season of Lent has been kept as a time of special devotion, self-denial, and humble repentance born of a faithful heart that dwells confidently on His Word and draws from it life and hope.”  One of the traditional devotions and acts of self-denial is the ancient practice of fasting. As the practice of fasting is addressed in the Old Testament reading, and, as it is a common Christian practice, and, because Lent...
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Sermon Text for Wednesday of the Fourth Week after the Epiphany

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Wednesday of the Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany  1 Corinthians 9:24-10:5 Matthew 20:1-16 O Lord, let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, my rock and my redeemer. Amen.  For those of us who are concerned about fairness, the parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard can be difficult to hear. By fairness I mean that people are treated the same. Perhaps it is a mercy to us that those who arranged the lectionary do not include anything of chapter 19 into this gospel reading. There too, Jesus says a number of things that sound “unfair.” One example is in Matthew 19:13-15, Jesus rebuked the disciples for preventing little children coming up to Jesus. Jesus explains, “ Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven .”  That is a confusing statement. Do little children know what to do with a kingdom? It’s not a toy or a game. The kingdom of heaven is for those who are worthy. Surely the ...
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Video and Sermon text for the Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany

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Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany  Micah 6:1-8      1 Corinthians 1:18-31      Matthew 5:1-12 Video of Divine Service at St. Luke, Rensselaer Lord, let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, my rock and my redeemer. Amen.   When Mary was pregnant with Jesus she visited her relative Elizabeth who was pregnant with John the Baptist. In response to the excitement of John leaping in Elizabeth’s womb, Mary offered a song of praise highlighting what God has done in the past.  She declares: He has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent empty away. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy…” (Luke 1:51-54)  We are left with the impression that her son Jesus, as the incarnate eternal Son, will continue the work that he...
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