Letters On The Page

20th Sunday after Pentecost  Isaiah 25:6-9   Philippians 4:4-13   Matthew 22:1-14 In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.  The 19th century American poet Emily Dickinson wrote a brief poem from which, I regularly see the first line in various publications. Since the poem is brief, I will read the whole thing.  Tell all the truth but tell it slant –  Success in Circuit lies Too bright for our infirm Delight The Truth’s superb surprise As Lightning to the children eased With explanation kind The Truth must dazzle gradually Or every man be blind During his teaching and healing ministry, Jesus found himself in regular conflict with other religious leaders over Biblical interpretation. For example, many Pharisees loudly disagreed with Jesus’ insistence on healing on the Sabbath. Today’s Gospel is part of a lengthy conversation Jesus has with the Temple priests, elders, and Pharisees. The Temple priests also disagree with Jesus’ words and behav...

Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost  Isaiah 5:1-7 Philippians 3:4b-14 Matthew 21:33-46 O Lord, let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, my Rock and my Redeemer. Amen.  God, through His prophets, His Son Jesus, and His Apostles, uses a wide variety of images and metaphors to communicate His message of Law and Gospel to us. In the prophet Isaiah and Jesus, we encounter the image of the Vineyard. The image of the Vineyard can be found elsewhere in the Bible.  The Vineyard is like a well-planned garden. It is organized. It is planted with intention for beauty and for ease of movement of visitors, workers, and harvesters. The branches are pruned so that the Vineyard produces abundantly. The vineyard provides grapes which may be enjoyed for their own sake or they can be made into wine. Wine promotes a community coming together, celebration and dance, conversation, deepening of friendships. All of which lead to joy.  The Vineyard that...

  https://in.lcms.org/what-ive-recently-been-reading-and-wanting-to-read/ What I’ve Recently Been Reading and Wanting to Read It’s been over a year since the last time I shared some books for consideration, and at a recent Circuit Winkel one of the pastors asked me when I’d be offering another such post. As it so happens, there have been a number of books that have come to my attention over the past many months, and I always enjoy sharing these discoveries with others. For the sake of full disclosure, many of the titles on this list are on my “to read” list, rather than ones I have already read; others are “in progress,” as I’m able. At this point in my life, the reality is that most of my “reading” is by way of listening to Audible books as I drive – and I’ve not yet found the following books available in that format. But we all plug along as best as we can! Theodore Graebner, The Borderland of Right and Wrong , Eighth Edition (Concordia Publishing House, 1951). This first book on...

  Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost    Ezekiel 18:1-4, 25-32   Philippians 2:1-4, 14-18   Matthew 21:23-27 O Lord, let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, my rock and my redeemer. Amen. That must have been a tense, confrontational moment, when the group of Chief priests and elders gathered around Jesus and demanded an answer from him, “ By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority? ” You have most likely witnessed or participated in a similar kind of conversation. It may have even happened in your very own home. Take for example, little brother says to bossy big sister, “You are not the boss of me! I don’t have to do what you say.”  Or, someone says something you do not like, and you say back, “What gives you the right to say that to me?” Or, you look out the window and see that a big work truck with a crew comes onto your property and precedes to get chain saws out to cut down your...

17th Sunday after Pentecost   Isaiah 55:6-9   Philippians 1:12-14, 19-30   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.  Immediately before the Parable of The Laborers in the Vineyard, Jesus concludes his comments about the rewards of those who follow Him. Jesus transitions into the Gospel reading today with the saying: “But many who are first will be last, and the last first.” You will have noted that the Gospel reading today ended with similar words, “So the last will be first, and the first last.” In rhetoric, when a text begins and ends with sentences that say the same thing, this is called an “inclusio.” It alerts the reader and listener that what is included within the bookends is a significant point that should be remembered and contemplated further.  In a fallen, sin saturated world, where pride insists that one person or group is more important or valuable tha...

Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost 16  Genesis 50:15-21  Romans 14:1-12  Matthew 18:21-35 O Lord, let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, my rock and my redeemer. Amen.  From time to time, I am asked, “Why do we say the Lord’s Prayer so often.” The answer is that, first, this is the prayer that Jesus teaches. Second, we need regular reminding of the theology and wisdom embedded in the petitions. In these petitions, we ask God to shape us. As Christians, we are on the long path of repentance in addressing the corruption of our sinful nature. So, we need to ask God to make his name holy on our lips and in our hearts. We want to desire what God desires for us. He desires that by our words and conduct in all our days and nights, God will be glorified.  We regularly invite God’s kingdom to come and that His will be done in and through us because so much of what we decide is based on me and mine. Too easily, we forget that our whol...