Letters On The Page

Image - Public Domain        Video of Service at St. Luke, Rensselaer   The Third Sunday After the Epiphany   Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10         1 Corinthians 12:12-31a        Luke 4:16-30 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. Amen.  The readings from Nehemiah and St. Luke show people gathered around a public reading of the Holy Scriptures. The circumstances of these readings could not be any different. But, the need for God’s Word is equally important.  The public reading of Scripture in Nehemiah is the first reading that the people of Judah have heard in the temple in Jerusalem for over seventy years. The people listening to Ezra’s voice are part of the third wave of Jews who return from the Babylonian captivity. When Persia defeated Babylon, Persia set the slaves free. The city walls and gate...

Patrick Hutchison. Cabin: Off the Grid Adventures with a Clueless Craftsman. New York: St. Martin's Press, 2024.  The excerpt from the Wall Street Journal brought this book to my attention.   Hutchison grew up camping on weekends with his family and friends. He liked being outdoors. He also knew that he wanted to be a writer. After a series of other kinds of jobs, he landed a job as a copywriter. The pay and benefits were good, but it was not stimulating work for him. On a lark he searched the Internet for "cabin" to see what came up knowing that whatever was out there was outside his price range. Not so. A cabin in a remote area $7,500. He called the owner, visited, borrowed money from Mom, and bought the place.  He has little extra money and a cabin that is in need of significant repairs. He owns no tools and is not handy. He is completely unprepared for everything that comes next. Hutchison tells a great story about how he and his friends learned basic carpentry skills...

 Rev. Dr. David Petersen of Redeemer Lutheran Church in Ft. Wayne offered an informative, thoughtful, and excellent Preaching Workshop for us at Concordia Theological Seminary Fort Wayne.  He introduced us to the philosophical treatise The Four Loves by C S Lewis and led us into a fuller understanding of the two primary words for love that are used in the New Testament. He provided us with sample sermons so that we can use, edit, or inspire us.  This was a day well spent!  

Wikimedia Commons, public domain    Video of Divine Service at St. Luke 2025 Epiphany 2      Isaiah 62:1-5     1 Corinthians 12:1-11     John 2:1-11 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. Amen.  When I am invited to pray at wedding receptions, I often remind people that the very first miracle that Jesus accomplished was at an event just like this.  I enjoy saying that Jesus saved the party. By his presence he blesses the marriage and the coming together of the community to witness the union of husband and wife and joining together of the families to which they belong. Marriage was never intended to be a quiet, private affair. Marriage is a public, celebratory event. Love has blossomed. A future is being adventured into together as husband and wife. Families and friends come together to offer their blessin...

Image Address Video of Service at St. Luke, Rensselaer 2025 Baptism of Our Lord  Isaiah 43:1-7        Romans 6:1-11         Luke 3:15-22 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. Amen.  The Baptism of our Lord comes on the heels of the Feast of the Epiphany which was celebrated world-wide on Monday. In the western church Epiphany is the coming of the Wise Men from the East. A monumental occasion in and of itself because Gentiles recognize that Jesus is the Christ. In the eastern church it is their official Christmas. So, the whole Christian church throughout the world celebrates on January 6.    Once we get past The Epiphany, then the church calendar leads us into a series of epiphanies where some aspect of Jesus’ uniqueness is revealed. This includes his ability to work miracles and demonstrate that He has autho...

Wikimedia Image Address   Thank you to Pastor Keller for inviting me to preach at the Epiphany Divine Service at St. James Lutheran Church in Reynolds, IN.  Pastor Keller presided and Pastor Mueller served as crucifer and Assisting Minister.  You can listen to the service  here. The Epiphany          Isaiah 60:1-6             Ephesians 3:1-12                  Matthew 2:1-12 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 identity and origin of the Magi, the Wise Men, is shrouded in mystery. We only know of their existence because of Matthew 2. The text says that they are from the East, but there is nothing more specific than that. But the one thing that we  do know , that is essenti...

 I read The Odyssey a few years ago and thoroughly enjoyed Christopher Perrin's recap of the story's highlights and its meaning. Dr. Perrin is a Christian and he infuses orthodox Christian reflection into his presentation. I liked how he quoted Clement of the 200's who argued that Greek philosophy and myths prepare them to receive Christ.  If you have not read or listened to The Odyssey, this is an easy to listen to and watch introduction to this great work. A worthy use of one's time indoors amidst the harshness of this winter day!

Public Domain                                                        Video of Divine Service, St. Luke, Rensselaer Second Sunday  after Christmas       1 Kings 3:4-15           Ephesians 1:3-14                   Luke 2:40-52 O Lord our God, we thank you for the treasure that is your Holy Word and that we have the privilege to read, hear, mark, and inwardly digest it. We join with the Psalmist and declare “How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth.” O Lord speak to us today so that we are prepared to meet 2025. Amen.  In the last couple of weeks in December we were exposed to many kinds of reviews of 2024. What were the noteworthy news events? What wer...

Messina, Virginia, and Jack Norris.   Vegan for life: Everything You Need to Know to Be Healthy and Fit on a Plant-Based Diet . Da Capo Press, 2011.   A most helpful book to define terms (i.e. What does vegan really mean?) and introduce the reader to the benefits and ease of maintaining a plant-based diet. Both authors are long time practitioners and registered dieticians. The sixteen chapters address numerous questions: What nutrition do we really get from this kind of diet? Is it enough? What do we give up when we give up meat, dairy, and eggs? Is a vegan diet good for women who are pregnant, lactating, or undergoing menopause? Should children and teens be vegan too? They also address health issues such as weight, heart disease, diabetes, kidney disease.  I found their writing style engaging and their answers compelling.  Regarding nutrition, chapter 3 is titled Vitamin B12: The Gorilla in the Room. Within the vegan research and community, there is disagreemen...

  St. Luke started a Mommy and Me class that includes readings, crafts, snack time, and other fun and educational activities for children who are almost ready for preschool.  The primary teacher and Director, Natalie Waling, organized and led a Christmas Puppet show.  In the audience are Mommy and Me students and Little Lamb Preschool students and their adult guardians.  Thank you to all of Mrs. Waling's helpers!  Thank you to Lizzie for providing a video with highlights of the play and their time together!