Letters On The Page

  Girard gave me free rein with his person library, but then, as book people will, kept pulling his own darlings off the shelf and stuffing them into my hands.  (p326) Leif Enger, I Cheerfully Refuse. 2024) 

2024-Easter 4 (B)  Acts 8:26-40    1 John 4:1-11 (12-21)                       John 15:1-8 Alleluia! Christ is risen! O Lord, let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, my rock and my redeemer. Amen. As Philip approached the Ethiopian official’s chariot, he heard the Ethiopian reading from Isaiah 53. That experience led me to think back to the times we overhear things. We overhear conversations and arguments. Back in the days before Air Conditioners, we heard people talking inside and outside of homes.  Now that the cell phone is in everyone’s hand, we are forced to hear at least one side of the conversation to the person they are talking to.  Some of this can be quite entertaining. For example, not long ago I was in the grocery store. While walking through the soup aisle, a grandmother was talking to a grandchild via facetime or some other visual and audio medium on the cell phone. I could not help but smile when I saw her talking because her face w

 

      Click here for the link to the service and sermon at St. Luke, Rensselaer, IN 2024 Easter 4            John 10:11-18 Alleluia! Christ is Risen! O Lord our God, let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, our rock and redeemer. Amen.  Jesus uses different titles to describe himself. Others use titles to describe him too. In the Gospels, we hear the name of Jesus connected to titles such as  Savior , as when the angels announced to the shepherds that Jesus is born, “unto you a Savior is born.” In the beginning of the gospel of John the gospel writer refers to Jesus as the “ Word ” and declares that the “ Word was God ” and that He is co-eternal with the Father. In the Johannine prologue, we also hear Jesus referred to as the only  Son from the Father . John the Baptist declared that Jesus is the  Lamb of God  who takes away the sin of the world. When Jesus asked the Apostles, “who do you say that I am?” Peter spoke for the group in confessing that

 While reflecting on 1 John 3:16-24, the Epistle for the Fourth Sunday of Easter, I wanted to compare the English translation with the Greek.  I forgot to bring my Greek text.  I made this happy discovery in the bookshelves at The Lutheran Church of Our Saviour.  One does not often find Greek New Testaments of any age or edition on church book shelves.  What a pleasant surprise!

 

Click here for the video of the service at St. Luke, Rensselaer, IN.  2024 Easter 3 Luke 24:36-49   Alleluia! Christ is risen!    O Lord our God let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, my Rock and my Redeemer. Amen.   Without fail, whenever angels appeared before people in the Old and New Testaments, the very first thing they say is “ Do not be afraid .” I imagine that kind of greeting is necessary. Who really expects an angel to appear before them? People are just going about their business and then this extraordinary being is there talking to them. The things they say are life changing.  So, if it isn’t the appearance of the angel that frightens them, the message certainly will.      The post-resurrection appearances of Jesus weren’t expected either. The disciples were too grief stricken and confused to expect anything.  They lost their friend and leader. Any hopes of Jesus being the kind of Christ who will lead the fight to expel the Roman Empi

24-04-13 Devotion for Lutheran Women Missionary League at St. Luke, Rensselaer, IN Psalm 23 – “He leads me beside still waters.”  Opening Prayer: Psalm 23 Let us pray… In the name of the Father, + Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen. The   Lord   is my   shepherd; I shall not   want.   2  He makes me lie down in green   pastures.   He leads me beside still waters. 3  He   restores my soul.   He   leads me in   paths of righteousness   for his   name's sake. 4  Even though I   walk through the valley of   the shadow of death,   I will   fear no evil, for   you are with me;   your   rod and your staff,   they comfort me. 5  You   prepare a table before me   in   the presence of my enemies;   you   anoint my head with oil;   my   cup overflows. 6  Surely   goodness and mercy   shall follow me   all the days of my life, and I shall   dwell   in the house of the   Lord   forever.  Amen.  Some years ago, I read Larry McMurtry’s book,  Lonesome Dove .    We were then living in west Texas, about 90