Letters On The Page

Image address        Divine Service at St. Luke, Rensselaer   Third Sunday in Advent         Zephaniah 3:14-20  Philippians 4:4-7    Luke 7:18-35 Are you the one? Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. Amen.  From his imprisonment, John the Baptist sends two of his disciples to Jesus to ask a single question:  Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?  For those of us who are familiar with the background story of John the Baptist and Jesus, we may find the question rather odd. They are related. Their respective mothers are cousins. After Mary became pregnant she went to stay with Elizabeth for a time. We are told in Luke’s Gospel that John leaped in Elizabeth’s womb when Mary arrived.  As adults John and Jesus knew each other. In the first chapter of the Gospel of John, John the Baptist poi...

Image Link   2024 Advent 2 Midweek        Psalm 66:1-12              Luke 1:39-45 Babies move around in their mother’s wombs for all kinds of reasons. Each child is different. Some are more active than others. Some start testing the boundaries sooner than others. Other times it is because they need a different position. For example, when Momma is laying down on her back and her spine is uncomfortable. I have also heard that babies in the womb can move around more due to Momma’s mood or because of what she just ate or drank.  Years ago, Marie and I were at a dinner party. Two of the women were pregnant for the first time. One mother drank some coffee. A minute or two later we all observed movement, whether in displeasure, pleasure, or because of the rush of energy from the caffeine, I cannot say for certain. But it was a source of amusement for us to behold the direct connection between mother’s int...

Video of Divine Service at St. Luke, Rensselaer          Image in Public Domain Second Sunday in  Advent   Malachi 3:1-7b                   Philippians 1:2-11                   Luke 3:1-20 One of the numerous pleasures of serving here is the time I spend on two lane roads. I enjoy the pace, except, of course when I am behind someone traveling 40-45 mph in a 55mph zone. Generally, all goes well until something really big comes from the opposite direction. Thankfully, they always have a vehicle in front with yellow lights, flags, and a wide-load sign prominently displayed warning those of us with eyes to see that we should move to the right a bit and give room.  Not long ago, I was driving through Francisville, when one of those advance vehicles was straddling the center yellow line. Han...

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  Vespers at St. Luke, Rensselaer First Wednesday in Advent           Psalm 25:1-10 & Luke 1:67-80      The Song of Zechariah  I have to wonder how long Zechariah had been composing this song in his head before he was allowed to sing it? Or was it completely spontaneous? Regardless, Zechariah has not spoken a word for at least 9 months, possibly longer.  Zechariah is a priest. Months before this song came pouring out of him, Zechariah was in Jerusalem. It was his turn to serve at the Altar. He went into the Holy of Holies to light the incense. The Angel Gabriel was there and explained that Elizabeth would soon be pregnant and that their son was to be named John. Zechariah was not quick with his faith like Abraham or Mary. When Abraham received the promise of Land and a vast line of descendants, he simply believed. Genesis 15:6 says “ And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness. ”...

At the Indiana District Pastors Conference this past October, I received a certificate recognizing 30 years of service as an ordained Lutheran Pastor. October 16, 1994 was a remarkable day when I was ordained and installed as the Pastor of Faith Lutheran Church in Sagerton, Texas.  God bless those dear people for calling me to serve them! So, I finally put the certificate in a frame and placed it on the wall of the Pastor's office in the office of St. Luke, Rensselaer. 

Sunday morning, the First Sunday of Advent, we sang the hymn 341  Lift Up Your Heads, Ye Mighty Gates  in the Lutheran Service Book.  What does that phrase mean? Where did that hymn come from?  The phrase is from Psalm 24:7. The note for verse 7 in the Lutheran Study Bible explains " gates. Worshipers ascending to the tabernacle reach Jerusalem's gates and call for them to open before God. David personifies the gates, showing that it is an honor to be in God's presence. If the gates are to lift up their heads in honor, how much more should God's people rejoice in His gracious presence. " Here are three explanations or devotions that I pulled from the web: https://www.kfuo.org/2022/12/06/sharper-iron-the-hymns-of-advent-120622-lift-up-your-heads-ye-mighty-gates/   Rev. Tim Storck, pastor at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Chesterfield, MI, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Lutheran Service Book #341, “Lift Up Your Heads, Ye Mighty Gates.” This hymn fro...

  Video of Divine Service at St. Luke, Rensselaer   First Sunday in Advent   Jeremiah 33:14-16   1 Thessalonians 3:9-13   Luke 19:28-40 Good things are coming soon. As we have made our way to the Thanksgiving holiday, advertising in its myriad forms have reminded us that along with the warm glow of Thanksgiving is the shopping sales available on Black Friday, shop local Saturday and Cyber Monday. Thank goodness for the commercials so that our imaginations are guided to what those good things should be.  Gifts and presents for our hard-working selves and those we care about are good and wonderful things. What a blessing to be able to purchase and share. But, the emphasis in the media is on physical things. In many minds, Christmas has become synonymous with material concerns. The world twists the meaning of Christmas towards its own self-serving impulses. By and large, the primary message is not about the self-emptying of the second person of the T...