Letters On The Page

Video of Divine Service at St. Luke, Rensselaer First Sunday after Christmas  Isaiah 63:7-14  Galatians 4:4-7  Matthew 2:13-23 O Lord, your Word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, my rock and my redeemer.  Today’s Gospel comes as a bit of a shock after the joy of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.  On Christmas Eve, we heard the joyous news of God coming down to dwell with us. Isaiah’s prophecy is fulfilled in Jesus Christ:  For to us a child is born,   to us   a son is given;   his name shall be called   Wonderful   Counselor,   Mighty God, Everlasting   Father, Prince of   Peace.  For a brief musical moment, the veil that separates the seen from the unseen was removed and the angels announced the birth of the Christ child in Bethlehem. “ Glory to God in highest, and on earth peace upon those with whom he is pleased...

Christmas Day - John 1:1-18              O Lord, Your Word is lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, my Rock and my Redeemer. Amen.   Many of the books I read have introductions written by the author or someone else.  In general, a good introduction lets the reader know what the theme is and what direction the book is going to go.  Sometimes, the reader may even surmise the conclusion.              The Gospel reading is a brief, poetic prose, introduction to the life of Jesus Christ.  Reading the prologue carefully lets us know what is coming. If we were hearing the Gospel for the very first time, we would discern that Jesus is the focus of the rest of the book and that He is unlike any man born. He is co-eternal with the Father and the Holy Spirit. ...

Video of Lessons and Carols at St. Luke, Rensselaer Christmas Eve – Isaiah 9:2-7 & Luke 2:1-20   O Lord, Your Word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, my rock and my redeemer. Amen.    When the heavenly host of angels appeared to the shepherds in the night sky, they sang out “ Glory to God in the highest and peace to God’s people on earth .” Tonight, we join with the heavenly host in glorifying God for the gift of Jesus.  Jesus, sweet baby Jesus, born in humble surroundings, is a child born not for the sake of Mary and Joseph or for the sake of continuing the family line.  Jesus is born for the sake of the world.  In and through the life of this baby, we receive the promise of salvation.  For the peace he brings us; for the forgiveness he wins for us through the cross; for the hope he instills within our hearts, and for the embodiment o...

Video of Divine Service at St. Luke, Rensselaer Fourth Sunday in Advent          Isaiah 7:10-17            Romans 1:1-7             Matthew 1:18-25 O Lord, your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light unto my path. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, my rock and my redeemer. Amen. It is not unusual this time of year for there to be a focus on Mary, the mother of Jesus. Regardless of one’s theological tradition, we see from the biblical witness that Mary is an exemplar of faith. God, through his messenger Gabriel, asks Mary to do something that has never been asked before.  In full trust of God for her future, she says “yes” to bearing the Son of God.  While we appreciate Mary’s faith and her role in bringing Christ to us, I contend that what we learn of Joseph is equally important. I am gratefu...

  Video of Vespers, St. Luke, Rensselaer Third Wednesday in Advent               2 Samuel 11:1-12:23                         Matthew 1:1-17 O Lord, Your Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, my rock and my redeemer. Amen.  In the season of Advent, we look for the Christ who is to come. Israel looked in hope for the coming Savior. The Church waits with hope for her Lord’s second coming.  As we wait, we ask, who is Jesus, really? The genealogy in Matthew explains that Jesus is the son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham is the patriarch of the faith with whom God established His covenant. The LORD promised Abraham descendants and land. David is King David, son of Jesse of Bethlehem, who as a young man killed the gian...

Rob Henderson. Troubled: A Memoir of Foster Care, Family, and Social Class. Gallery Books. 2024.  I first encountered Rob Henderson on Shilo Brooks' podcast OLD SCHOOL.  Their conversation focused around George Orwell's Down and Out in Paris and London led me to purchase and read Henderson's book. Since watching the OLD SCHOOL podcast I have learned that people are paying attention to Henderson's observations regarding "luxury beliefs" of the affluent that he first witnessed while at Yale for his undergraduate degree. In the book, Henderson discusses "luxury beliefs" and their impact on society. That is a chapter worthy of reflection in itself.  The reason that Henderson can observe these "luxury beliefs" with a critical eye is because of his personal story and the trajectory of his life thus far. As the subtitle indicates, this is a memoir. His biological abandoned his mother while she was pregnant. After Rob was born, his mother became ad...

Video of Divine Service at St. Luke, Rensselaer   Third Sunday in Advent        Isaiah 35:1-10                        James 5:7-11              Matthew 11:2-15 O Lord, your Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, my rock and my redeemer. Amen. Last week, we heard the fiery, accusing, rhetoric of John the Baptist as he prepared the people and spiritual leaders for the coming Christ. He memorably declares that the spiritual leaders are a brood of vipers and that they are unworthy trees ripe for the axe and will soon be thrown into the fire unless they begin to bear fruit worthy of their repentance.  This week, we encounter a considerably less confident and strident John the Baptist who...

Video of Vespers - St. Luke, Rensselaer, IN     Second Wednesday in Advent             Ruth 1- 4          Matthew 1:1-11 Matthew 1 and Luke 3 are the two genealogies that we have of Jesus’ human ancestors. Only Matthew includes women. The five women listed with their husbands have a story attached to them. Anyone expecting Jesus to come from a pure and holy, or even, a Jewish only pedigree will be sorely disappointed. While Jesus has no sin himself, he has several scandalous skeletons in his ancestral closet.  Last week, we focused on Tamar and her experiences of hardship, treachery, and deception as it is described in Genesis 38. Tonight, we focus on Ruth the Gentile.  Naomi and her two daughters-in-law find themselves in a desperate situation. When Naomi’s husband died, she had the security of her two sons. Then they died. What can they do? Orpah did as Naomi in...

Video of Divine Service at St. Luke, Rensselaer Second Sunday in Advent   Isaiah 11:1-10        Romans 15:4-13         Matthew 3:1-12 O Lord, your Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, my rock and my redeemer. Amen.  In the 1990s and early 2000’s I often found myself in pastor meetings hearing about how to plant and grow a church.   ·        A clearly stated mission was important ·        Outreach into the community ·        Vibrant worship ·        Location for the church house The key words for the church building where the faithful will assemble are “assessable” and “visible.” The building needs to be visible from the road, a sign saying “Church – Enter Here, parking needs to be in front so pas...